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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25398541">Waste Away with Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/synthsmoocher/pseuds/synthsmoocher'>synthsmoocher</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety Disorder, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:21:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>64,163</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25398541</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/synthsmoocher/pseuds/synthsmoocher</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick finds a new partner, a friend. She's not like anyone else he's ever met.<br/>Nora finds a new partner, a friend. He's not like anyone else she's ever met. And she just might be falling for him. </p><p>Can Nora manage to find something more in her friendship with someone who's not even made of flesh and blood?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Sole Survivor/Nick Valentine, Nick Valentine/Original Female Character(s), Sole Survivor/Nick Valentine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>178</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Baby's first fic, be gentle!<br/>This is fixin' to get NSFW, any chapters containing explicit content will have a warning beforehand.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nick wasn't surprised at first when he heard a fight break out on the floor above him. Skinny wasn't exactly known for hiring the most stable guards, so there was often someone screaming, shooting, or throwing empty liquor bottles at the wall.</p><p><br/>
It was only when the screams turned bloodcurdling, grenades began going off, and shots started ringing throughout the entire vault that he realized Skinny's people were getting knocked off, one by one. The two goons outside of his room were either too high or too distracted to notice.</p><p><br/>
Just as he was wondering if it was a group of raiders, a bullet hit one of the henchman square in the head. Blood and grey matter coated the window behind him, painting the dirty glass in a layer of crimson.</p><p><br/>
"What the fuck?" The second guard whipped around, but before he could even grab his pistol, his brains were on the wall.</p><p><br/>
Nick could hear the sound of boots on metal getting a little closer to where he was. "Hey, you?" He called out after some hesitation. Better getting shot by a raider than sit and rust to death after they clean the place out, he figured. "I don't know who you are, but we got three minutes before they realize muscles-for-brains ain't coming back."</p><p><br/>
He heard the intruder attempt to open the metal door, but it didn't budge. "There's no lock on my end. You gotta use that terminal," he shouted. After a brief pause, he heard the whir of the computer booting up, followed by frantic typing. As the deadbolt on the door turned and the hinges squeaked with the weight, he saw who was on the other end.</p><p>It was a woman. Nick wasn't very good with human ages, but he'd guessed around mid-twenties. She was petite, pale, and wearing an old vault suit. A wild mane of curly auburn hair framed her round face and high cheekbones. She pushed up her glasses and finally spoke.</p><p><br/>
"Nick Valentine?"</p><p><br/>
He was surprised by two things. One was her knowing his name, and the other was the fact that it looked like this tiny woman had just broken into a vault and killed a dozen drugged-out goons. He chuckled softly at the situation.</p><p><br/>
"Gotta love the the reverse damsel-in-distress scenario," he said, stepping out of the doorframe to meet his savior. "Question is, why did our heroine risk life and limb for an old private eye?"</p><p><br/>
The woman was busy looking him up and down. It was a reaction that he was used to seeing, but he would be lying if he said he didn't feel a pang of self-consciousness in the back of his head whenever he got it. Most humans were immediately cautious, scared, even disgusted when they first met him.</p><p><br/>
Instead, all he got was "Are you hurt?"</p><p><br/>
"What? No, I'm fine," he waved. "The only thing that matters is why you went to all this trouble to cut me loose."</p><p><br/>
"I - I need help finding someone," she said, casting her eyes down at the floor. "It's kind of a long story, and I don't know where he is or.." she took a deep breath. "Or even if he's alive."</p><p><br/>
Nick could tell she was upset. He was never good at comforting people, especially now that they tended to recoil at his touch, so he decided to keep it businesslike.<br/>
"Hey, don't worry. Finding missing people is my bag. You've come to the right man - though, uh, not the right place."</p><p><br/>
She looked back up and smiled. "I'm Nora." She held out her hand and took a step forward. He shook it, making sure not to use the hand that was essentially stripped of flesh - that never made a good impression. His hand dwarfed hers. Her nails were in good shape, something he almost never saw out in the Commonwealth.</p><p><br/>
She was even shorter than he'd thought she was. Nick was used to being a bit taller than a lot of women, but he easily towered two heads over her. "Nick Valentine," he said, "though I guess you already know that."</p><p><br/>
Nora sifted through her shoulderbag and fished out a pistol, handing it to him. "Let's get out of here."</p><p><br/>
"Lead the way, ma'am," Nick gestured.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The pair went back up the way Nora came down, and she occasionally would stop to grab things out of lockers or behind doorways. She had an eye for picking the good stuff out from the junk. She was quick, so he couldn't complain.</p><p><br/>
It was a little awkward at first, the only sounds being rusty hinges or empty bottles clattering to the ground. "How long did they keep you down here?" Nora finally asked.</p><p><br/>
"I've been cooped up in here for weeks. Turns out the runaway daughter I came here to find wasn't kidnapped," he grumbled, handing her a carton of purified water he'd found on top of a high shelf. "She's Skinny Malone's new flame, and she's got a mean streak."</p><p><br/>
She tisked. "Always with the bad boys."</p><p><br/>
That ilicited a short, dry laugh from the detective. "You can say that again. Malone's crew here used to be small time, muscled out of the old neighborhood by bigger players. Until they found this place."</p><p><br/>
"I'll give them points for style," she replied, grabbing an unopened bottle of vodka and stashing it in her bag.</p><p><br/>
They didn't speak again until they ascended another flight of stairs. "More stairs? Who built this damn Vault, a fitness instructor?" She giggled, almost a little too enthusiastically. He couldn't help but grin. At least the gal had a sense of humor.</p><p><br/>
"Skinny Malone and the rest of his boys are waiting for us, somewhere. The name's, uh, ironic, but don't let that fool you. He's dangerous."</p><p><br/>
"It'll be easy to hear him coming, then," she said, checking the clip on her rifle to make sure it was loaded.</p><p><br/>
They soon approached one of the last doors to freedom. Nick made quick work of the terminal there. He'd always been good with security systems - whether or not that was an inherent thing with synths or not, he never knew.</p><p><br/>
"Okay, I got it," He whispered. "But I hear big, fat footsteps on the other side. Once we step through this door, get ready for anything."</p><p><br/>
She nodded, brows knit together in concentration. She gripped her gun a little tighter as Nick opened the door.</p><p><br/>
There was a swarm of them, standing in a line. Malone and the woman - Darla, he remembered - were in the middle, surrounded by six of the goons. Malone ushered to his men to put their guns down.</p><p><br/>
"Nicky? What're you doin'? You come into my house. Shoot up my guys. You have any idea how much this is gonna set me back?" He grabbed the young lady tighter by the waist.</p><p><br/>
"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your two-timing dame, Skinny. You ought to tell her to write home more often." He lowered his gun slightly, and Nora followed suit.</p><p><br/>
Darla giggled mockingly. "Awww... poor little Valentine. Ashamed you got beat up by a girl? I'll just run back home to daddy, shall I?"</p><p>Nora spoke up before Nick had the chance to respond. "Honey, that might be a good idea. Look at this guy. You really want him to gallivant you around the Commonwealth, getting shot at and sleeping in rusted old shacks? The dick can't possibly be that good."</p><p><br/>
Nick had to suppress a laugh at that. He wasn't expecting such an innocent-looking woman to have that kind of mouth on her.</p><p><br/>
To his surprise, Darla's smile faltered. "I - well -"</p><p><br/>
"Look at where you're at, surrounded by guns and filth. You don't want to be a part of this," Nora stood up straight, lowering her rifle to her hip. "Just go back to your family. They'll never know what happened here."</p><p><br/>
Nick's eyebrows shot up. Before he could tell his companion to be quiet, Darla bit her lip and groaned.</p><p><br/>
"I... I... You're right! What am I doing? I've gotten all mixed up!" her breath quickened before sprinting out the exit to the vault. Malone reached out for her arm, but she wrenched it away. "I'm going home to my parents. Screw you, you - you low-life gangsters," she said, voice shrill. His men stood there, silent for a moment.

</p>
<p><br/>
"Oh, come on, Nicky! You cost me my men, now you and your friend cost me my girl?" he sounded more defeated than angry.</p><p><br/>
"My friend here just did you a favor, Skinny. You always did have bad taste in women." Nick retorted, tentatively placing a hand on Nora's shoulder.<br/>
To his surprise, he could feel her trembling. She didn't let anything reflect in her face, which still bore the confidence she'd spoken with just moments before.</p><p><br/>
"Now that she's not around to feed that temper of yours, maybe you'll see sense and let us walk? You still owe me for two weeks in the hole," Nick reasoned. He just wanted out of there.</p><p><br/>
"You smug, overconfident ass..." Malone grumbled, before screaming in anger and tossing his gun to the floor. "Fine! Go. You have ten seconds before my men pump you fulla lead."</p><p><br/>
"We better get outta here. Fast," Nick ushered Nora to a worn-down ladder as Skinny began counting. She didn't have to be told twice, and she started climbing like her life depended on it.</p><p><br/>
As he pushed the manhole covering to the side, the smell of night air, rot, and gunpowder filled his nose. The scent of the outside world. The dense, warm air wrapped around them like a blanket. The only light came from the moon hanging in the sky, and from the few remaining street lamps. "Ah, look at that Commonwealth sky. Never thought anything so naturally ominous could end up looking so inviting," he quipped, turning back around when he heard his companion sigh.</p><p><br/>
Nora leaned backwards onto a brick wall, sliding down it as her knees gave out. She was panting, and her trembling had intensified to full-body tremors.</p><p><br/>
"Woah, hey, kid," Nick rushed to her side, crouching beside her. "It's gonna be alright, we're safe."</p><p><br/>
She nodded. Her eyes were closed and she had her hands behind her head. "Y - yeah, I know," she said shakily. "I just need a minute."</p><p><br/>
"You new to this?"</p><p><br/>
"Yeah."</p><p><br/>
"Well, color me surprised. You did great back there. Take your time, I'll see if I can find us somewhere you can hunker down for a while."</p><p><br/>
A sound from behind them made him shoot up, reaching for the gun he'd borrowed.</p><p><br/>
"Don't worry, Detective. Dogmeat's with me."</p><p><br/>
He looked down at her and back down the alleyway, where a large german shephard mix was trotting towards them.</p><p><br/>
"Hey, boy!" She said, weakly gesturing towards him. Dogmeat's nails clicked on the sidewalk as he ran up to her and started licking her face. Valentine smirked at the situation, and she must have noticed, because she started giggling. He'd seen that mutt wandering around Diamond City, and it seemed like he finally met someone to travel with.</p><p><br/>
"I left him out here in case I didn't make it back out," she explained, giving the dog a scratch behind the ears.</p><p><br/>
"Well, that's a little morbid," he said, blinking down at her. She shrugged. Her shaking had died down now that her canine companion was near.</p><p><br/>
"You mind if I keep you two here, look for somewhere more comfortable to sit?"</p><p><br/>
She shook her head. "No, I don't mind. Awful kind of you."</p><p><br/>
He smiled. "Don't worry about it, I feel like I owe you several favors by this point."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nora tried to calm herself down as she waited for Nick to return. The whole journey she'd barely taken a break, and it had all gotten to her. She remembered the medication some pre-war doctor had prescribed for her when she got like this, wondering if anything like it even existed anymore. Dogmeat helped. He licked her hand idly as she pulled her hair back to feel the breeze on her neck. </p><p>	Just as she started to feel concerned about her new ally, she heard footsteps. "It's me," Nick's rough voice called out to her. </p><p>	It had gotten exceptionally dark outside, so she could only make out his vague shape and his glowing irises. She couldn't help but be a little unnerved by them.<br/>
"You good to walk? I found an old apartment complex nearby, looks radroach-free and the doors are still working."</p><p>	She stood up, her legs still a little shaky. "Sure, let's go."</p><p>	The apartment was in decent shape - or as decent as things got around the area. There was a hole in the ceiling, mold on the walls, piles of dirt on the floor, and it smelled of mildew, but most of the furniture was intact. Nora sank into an old, creaking armchair, and dogmeat followed, laying at her feet. </p><p>	"Thanks, Detective," she said, finally letting out a deep breath and relaxing her sore muscles. </p><p>	"You can call me Nick," he said, smiling and sitting on a dusty dining chair beside her. "Sounds less formal."</p><p>	She smiled weakly. "Okay, thanks, Nick."</p><p>	The man fumbled around in the dark for a switch on the old table lamp in between him, cursing when he smacked his hand against it. After a second the room lit up.<br/>
She finally got a good look at him, the second time she had a moment to after their introduction. She knew something about him wasn't human, but only now being close to him she noticed how the skin around his temples and cheeks looked peeled off, revealing metal and wires and some parts she couldn't identify. His flesh wasn't metallic, exactly, but it wasn't the right color or texture to really be called human skin. His eyes were striking, the brightest thing in the room. She could tell bits and pieces of him had fallen off or fallen apart.</p><p>	He lit a cigarette and looked up at her. She tried to look away, like she wasn't staring, but by the way one of his eyebrows cocked she knew she'd been caught red-handed.</p><p>	"Nick, um -" she started, trying to find the right words to say to not offend one of the few allies she'd found out in this godforsaken place. "I'm not sure how to ask, but..."</p><p>	He exhaled a decent amount of smoke, the rest pouring out through the holes in his face. "You want to know if I'm part of the Institute, don't you?"</p><p>	She wracked her brain for a second. "What Institute?"</p><p>	"You don't know what the Institute is?" He asked incredulously. "You're not from around here, are you?"</p><p>	Nora shook her head. 	</p><p>	"Well, the Institute is kind of the.. bogeyman of the Commonwealth, see. There are rumors, you know." He took another drag of his cigarette. "People missing. Being replaced with synths."</p><p>	"Synths?"</p><p>	The way he blinked rapidly at her made Nora feel like an idiot. He studied her for a minute, seemingly waiting for her to say something else.</p><p>	"You're not yanking my circuits, are you? You've never heard of a synth?"</p><p>	"Sorry. Like I said, I'm...not from around here,"  she said, self-consciously rubbing the back of her neck.</p><p>	"Huh." He seemed to think about that for a minute. "Well. You're looking at one. I'm a synth," He gestured to himself. "Synthetic man. All the parts, minus a few red blood cells."</p><p>	He sighed. "I got built, I got old, I got tossed."</p><p>	"So, you're - a robot?" Nora probed cautiously.</p><p>	"What, like a Mister Handy?"</p><p>	The tone he said it in made it obvious he didn't appreciate the question. Nora quickly covered her mouth with a hand. </p><p>	"No, I - I'm sorry, I didn't mean -"</p><p>	Nick started laughing. A loud, smokey, gruff sound that echoed past the old room and out through the street. Before Nora could apologize further, he waved a hand. </p><p>	"It's okay, kid. I hear worse on a daily basis. But no, I'm not a robot." He paused. "I guess, technically, we're made of the same stuff. But Synths - we have a brain, free will. We don't follow preprogrammed orders, you know? I guess we're half and half. Not human, but not as simple as a robot."</p><p>	Nora nodded. "So there are others like you?"</p><p>	He made a noncommital grunt. "Well - yes and no. There are other synths, but I'm uh, a prototype, I guess you could say."</p><p>	"Prototype?"</p><p>	"As far as I know. Never seen any other synth like myself. There's the older ones that are dumb as rocks and all metal, then there's the newer ones that are almost human. I'm somewhere in between."</p><p>	Nora nodded, trying to process this new information. Nick seemed to let her, and she absentmindedly picked at the stuffing that was falling out of her chair.</p><p>	"Now that you know a couple things about me, mind answering one of my questions?" He asked after a few minutes had passed.</p><p>	"I'm an open book."</p><p>	"How'd you know to find me down in that old Vault?" He snuffed out the remnants of his cigarette in an old ashtray.</p><p>	"Your secretary. She sent me."</p><p>	"She did? I should give her a raise."</p><p>	Nora smiled. "She tried to hide it, but she was awful worried about you."</p><p>	"Well, I appreciate it." He lit a second cigarette, and Nora wondered what he even got out of tobacco in the first place. Maybe just something to do with his hands. "But a good Samaritan in these parts is liable to end up on the wrong side of a loaded gun. I should know." The smoke lazily swirled from the hole in his face to the ceiling before dispersing.</p><p>	Nora yawned. "It's not like it was all selfless - I needed your help, too."</p><p>	He chuckled. "Fair enough."</p><p>	Dogmeat was asleep at Nora's feet. Her eyelids felt heavy. Was it safe for her to fall asleep with a stranger in the room? He seemed genuine - trustworthy, even - but she couldn't be sure.</p><p>	"Hey, if you want to crash I can keep an eye out. Synths don't really sleep." He must have seen her nervous expression, because he quickly added, "And if you're worried about me tryin' anything unseemly, I'm sure that big guy would rip a good chunk out of my arm before I could even move across the room."</p><p>	That was a good point. Dogmeat was basically always on alert, and joined at her hip. Maybe she could rest her eyes for a few minutes. Just so she could...recharge...</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>	The next thing Nora knew, she woke up. Flinching slightly at the soreness in her legs, she saw the first rays of dawn climbing over the horizon. She checked her surroundings, confused, until she spotted the detective. He was standing on a small balcony, half of it already crumbled from age. The synth was looking up at the remaining stars. He must have turned the lamp off for her. The only light came from his eyes and the cherry of his cigarette.</p><p>	Nora looked down, her pup still curled around her feet. She stretched her upper body, trying not to wake him, but her chair groaned in protest. Dogmeat's ears twitched.<br/>
Valentine must have heard the noise, because he turned around to look at her.</p><p>	"Hey," she said.</p><p>	"Well, good mornin'," he replied. "Are you feeling better?"</p><p>	"Much," she said, trying to run her fingers through her hair. "Thanks for keeping an eye out."</p><p>	"Not a problem, kid," he said, walking back in to the ancient apartment. "You were a little, uh, stressed last night."</p><p>	She groaned. "Sorry, I just - I have something wrong with my brain," she admitted. "It's been like that since I was little. I get these rushes of panic, especially when I'm tired, but I wanted to find you so I could see if you could help me and then there were men everywhere and -"</p><p>	"Hey, woah," he held a hand up. "You don't have to apologize for something you can't control."</p><p>	She felt blood run to her face. She couldn't help but feel so weak when her anxiety got the better of her. It was frustrating, and sometimes she'd just start talking and talking and not know when to stop.</p><p>	"So," he said, sitting back down next to her. "You mentioned something about a missing person. No trace of where they've gone."</p><p>	The words felt like a stab to the gut. She hated thinking about what happened. She nodded slowly.</p><p>	"I want you to come to my office in Diamond City. Give me all the details," he said, the last bit of ash from his smokes falling to the floor. "Besides, I think you've earned a chance to sit down and clear your head, in a place where you know you're safe."</p><p>	"That sounds like a good idea," she said, the corners of her lips turning up. "It's almost sunrise, would you mind if we went together?"</p><p>	"Not at all," he said, adjusting his hat. "Just let me know when you're ready."</p><p>	'Bathing' wasn't exactly a feasible practice in the Commonwealth, not anymore. Nora was still in the habit of wanting to feel clean, so she'd managed a small routine.<br/>
She had three different vault suits she'd managed to pick up from vault 111, and switched through them periodically. Most settlements still had running water, so she took 'showers' as often as she could. She dearly missed soap and shampoo, but it was at least something.</p><p>	After she changed her clothes and washed most of the sweat from herself, she was ready to go. Nick and Dogmeat were waiting for her, Nick idly flipping through her Pip-Boy. He seemed particularly fascinated by the thing, and by how well-preserved it was.</p><p>	"Ready to hit the road?" He asked, not even looking up as she laced up her boots.</p><p>	"Just about," she said, tying the last knot and picking up her shoulder bag.</p><p>	Nick handed her the Pip-Boy, and they were off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'll be honest, I'm not sure how long the switching-perspectives thing is going to last..it might start to feel distracting.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Blackened houses, morning skies on my mind.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nick quickly realized Nora was..different. Their journey back to Diamond City only took about half a day, but he couldn't quite figure her out. He was generally pretty good at picking up what a person was like, but Nora kept surprising him. </p><p>	In combat, she was all business. She was a great shot, quick on her feet, good at spotting an ambush. She got this look in her eyes - like she was concentrating only on the moment, forgetting everything else around her.</p><p>	But as soon as they were in the clear, she would unravel, anxious and  fussing over any scrape or dent Nick had gotten in a scuffle. She seemed genuinely scared about the detective (or their canine friend) getting hurt. Every time a fight ended, she'd look up at him with those big brown eyes of hers, asking if he was alright. </p><p>	Nick would be lying if he said it wasn't endearing. She might have been a little neurotic, sure, but it seemed like she genuinely cared - not like she was trying to put on a front. Attitudes like that had become a rarity out in the wastes. It was easy to just be numb to violence.</p><p>	Eventually, she'd calm down and be her normal self. She seemed to share the same dry wit he did, never missing a beat when he decided to try and be a smart-ass. Even though he did think she was a little too high-strung at times, she was fun to talk to. He thought back to what she'd told him - something was wrong with her brain. The detective instincts in him wanted to pry for more, but he didn't want to appear too nosy.</p><p>	"Hold up," she said. He snapped out of his thoughts, stopping in his tracks behind her. She was crouched low to the ground, looking up over a crumbling concrete divider. "More raiders. Should we try and sneak around?" It was something she'd asked before, but the trio of a human, a synth, and a dog were hard to miss.</p><p>	He nodded, crouching behind her. The raiders across the highway did seem to be preoccupied, two of them were having some sort of knife-throwing competition.<br/>
Nora sprinted until she was behind an old, rusted pre-war car. Her two companions followed suit, not daring to make a noise until they were sure the raiders hadn't seen anything.</p><p>	"Just a bit further," she pointed, "Then we can just keep low behind the bridge." She gripped her gun tighter before running behind another high wall. Nick followed.</p><p>	"You see somethin'?" One of the raiders asked. Nora froze. She made eye contact with Nick, and he thought about putting a hand on her shoulder before talking himself out of it. She's definitely not going to be used to a synth touching her.</p><p>	"Lay off the jet, Smithy," a female raider's voice echoed. "Nobody's been past here in a week."</p><p>	Nora unclenched her arms, sighing with relief. Nick smiled assuredly at her, and Dogmeat wagged his tail. </p><p>	They were able to run the next two blocks uninterrupted. Nora wooped when they saw Diamond City security doing their daily patrols. </p><p>	Finally, they turned a corner and saw the towering entrance to the stadium. Nora beamed. Her smile was infectious. "Home sweet home," Nick said, taking the first steps up.<br/>
It was late afternoon, so the trade centre was a little more crowded than usual. They passed Piper's news stand, and she waved eagerly. He made a mental note to talk to her later.</p><p>	There was a crowd around the noodle stand, people eagerly awaiting their dinners. A few citizens said hi to Nick, but he didn't stop for small talk. He wanted to get this new case started.</p><p>	Dogmeat started to wander off, eager to smell everything he could. Nora gave him a pat on the back and let him go.</p><p>	They finally made it to the buzzing neon signs outside of his office. He opened the door for Nora. "After you."</p><p>	"How gentlemanly," she laughed, ducking under his arm and entering the dusty agency.</p><p>	Nick heard Ellie's heels descending the stairs, faster than he'd heard in a long time. She gasped, tucking a pencil in her neatly-styled hair. "Nick?" She ran up and hugged him, laughing with relief. "Oh god, it's really you!"</p><p>	Nick was never sure what to do when a human hugged him - not that it happened often. He awkwardly patted her back, chuckling. "Well, it's hard to mistake this mug for anyone else."</p><p>	She let him go, pouting but keeping her light tone. "You keep laughing at death. Some day, death's going to laugh back." </p><p>	That make him feel guilty. He'd thought of Ellie like family at that point, and he didn't want her to worry so much.</p><p>	"Hey, I'm not dying any time soon," he assured, looking behind him, at Nora. "Not as long as I got a few friends to back me up."</p><p>	Ellie seemed to only notice Nora just then, and she grabbed the shorter woman's hands appreciatively. "Thanks so much for bringing Nick back."</p><p>	Nora smiled. "I promised I would, didn't I?"</p><p>	"You did," Ellie said, "But that usually doesn't mean much nowadays. Glad to see I was wrong." She let go of Nora's hands, ushering Nick to his desk and fishing through a bag sitting atop it. "I don't know how you found him, but you deserve a reward."</p><p>	She filled her hands with some caps, dropping them on the desk and sliding the pile over to Nora.</p><p>	Nora flushed, shaking her head. "Oh! I appreciate it, but I didn't do it for the money, I -"</p><p>	Ellie insisted. "You brought him back to us, to Diamond City. As far as I'm concerned, the whole place is in your debt."</p><p>	Nora nodded slowly, putting a few of the caps into her bag, mumbling a thank-you.</p><p>	Nick just sat and watched the exchange, lighting a cigarette and smirking. There was a reason he usually let Ellie handle the more client-focused parts of the business - she was fun to watch.</p><p>	"You know, if you're looking for work, and don't mind putting on the detective hat, Nick sure could use a new partner," Ellie continued eagerly.</p><p>	Nick's eyebrows shot up. That wasn't a thing they'd discussed. He cleared his throat - well, made the approximate noise of doing so, since he had no real way of clearing it. "One case at a time, Ellie," he said, leaning forward and putting his hands on the old desk. "Our new friend needs our help, first."</p><p>	Nora finally sat down, letting her bag fall to the floor. She looked nervous, almost scared. Nick handed Ellie a notepad, and she prepped some notes.</p><p>	"Tell me everything you can, no matter how... painful it might be."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They don't cry when we're gone.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nora tried to pull herself together. Distracting herself from thinking about what happened could only work for so long. It was time to let it all out, if only to help reunite her with her son.</p><p>	"My son, Shaun. He's been...kidnapped. He's just a baby."</p><p>	"Your son?" Nick asked, concerned.</p><p>	"Whoever did it, they..." She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "They killed Shaun's father." She felt her eyes burn.</p><p>	"I'm sorry," Ellie said, placing her hand on top of Nora's. "I know this is hard."</p><p>	"Why your family in particular, and why an infant?" Nick scratched his chin. "Someone would be taking on all of his care, and a baby needs a lot of it."</p><p>	Ellie squeezed Nora's hand. "Is there anything else you can tell us?" she asked softly.</p><p>	Nora closed her eyes. "It's...hard to remember. There were two people, I think. A man and a woman. The woman was in some kind of full-body hazmat suit."</p><p>	"The hazard suit is interesting. Not many mercs can afford something that fancy," Nick muttered to himself. He looked back up at Nora. "Where did it happen?"<br/>
Nora sighed. The cat was finally out of the bag now. </p><p>	"We were in a Vault. It was some sort of...cryogenic facility. I - we, my family and I, we were in there for over 200 years."</p><p>	"No shit," Nick said, surprised. "You were on ice...and pre-war? I can't imagine the culture shock when you woke up. No wonder you'd never seen a synth."</p><p>	"The man - he walked right up to my chamber," Nora's voice cracked. "He was bald, had a big scar across his eye."</p><p>	"Wait." Nick snapped up, looking from Ellie to Nora. "It couldn't be... You didn't hear the name 'Kellogg' at all, did you?"</p><p>	"I don't think so...it's all so hard to remember," Nora's voice was getting hoarser, the lump in her throat was expanding.</p><p>	"Ellie, what notes do we have about the Kellogg case?" Nick turned to look at his secretary. She began rummaging through one of the old file cabinets.</p><p>	"Let's see," she flipped through a few folders before pulling one out, reading through line by line. "The description matches. Bald head. Scar. Reputation for dangerous mercenary work, but no one knows who his employer is."</p><p>	Nora finally felt the dam burst, and the tears started to fall. "The worst part - I - I saw them shoot Nate, just for trying to stop them," she managed to say, before the sobs took over. The kind of gut-wrenching sobs that almost made her gag, waves of heartbreak wracking against her body. Her whole family was gone, and she felt so helpless. She brought her knees up to her chin and just let the sobs come.</p><p>	She could hear the two scrambling to get over to her. Nora's thin hands rubbed her back sympathetically, and Nick squeezed her shoulder. Ellie took to whispering "It's okay... it's okay."</p><p>	Nick also spoke gently. "Hey, kid. We're gonna find him. This is top-priority now." </p><p>	Nora could barely even process what he was saying. All that she could feel was grief. She let it wash over her, she didn't know how long, until the sobs got less frequent. She hiccuped and tried to breathe, wiping her eyes.</p><p>	"Honey, I think you need to eat," Ellie said. "Do you want me to order you something and bring it back here?"</p><p>	Nora sniffled. "I'm not really hungry," she croaked.	</p><p>	"I know, sweetheart, but you need food."</p><p>	Nora nodded, letting another sob burst through her chest. </p><p>	"These things can come in waves," Nick said softly. "Here, let's lay you down while Ellie gets you that food." He guided her to an old mattress underneath the office stairs, and Nora sat down, trying to get her breathing back to normal.</p><p>	"I'll be back soon, you two," Ellie said, grabbing her purse and closing the door behind her.</p><p>	"Thanks," Nora mumbled. Her eyes were still bleary. She took her glasses off and wiped them on her vault suit, trying to get them less foggy.</p><p>	"Don't worry about it," Nick said, sitting beside her. "You've been thrust into this whole new world. I'd be falling apart if I was in your situation."</p><p>	Nora flopped down onto the mattress, trying to clear her head. She felt Nick's weight shift, and then leave. Soon the only noise in the office was an old electric fan and the occasional turning of pages.</p><p> </p><p>	She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep until she woke up. She had slept in a fetal position. Her throat and chest burned.</p><p>	There was a bowl of noodles and a bottle of nuka-cola sitting on a table near the mattress. She saw Nick pouring over notes at his desk.</p><p>	"What time is it?" She asked hoarsely.</p><p>	Nick looked up, his expression one of sympathy. "It's a little past 9PM," he said. "Your food got cold but Ellie didn't want to wake you up..."</p><p>	Nora shifted, and was surprised to see Dogmeat laying at the foot of the bed.</p><p>	"He somehow knew you were here. Mutt's got a wicked sense of smell."</p><p>	Nora managed to crack a smile when Dogmeat jumped on her lap, licking her tear-stained face and wagging his tail.</p><p>	Nick took the moment to grab the cold noodles and brought them upstairs.</p><p>	"Is there a hotel in Diamond City?" She called up above her.</p><p>	"There sure is," Nick replied. "I can take you down there if you want." She heard him pushing some buttons on an old pre-war microwave.</p><p>	Nora dug through her bag for a minute or two, looking for the box she kept her caps in. The reward Ellie gave her would probably be enough for a few nights, but not enough to replenish ammo and get food for the next week.</p><p>	She didn't even notice the detective come back downstairs until she heard a bowl being placed back on the bedside table. The noodles were steaming, and the aroma made her realize just how empty her stomach really was.</p><p>	"Or, if you're so inclined, Ellie and I don't mind you staying here a few days."</p><p>	"I don't want to be a burden," she said.</p><p>	"It actually might be easier this way. We can just work on your case without having to worry about setting up meetings."</p><p>	Nora took a few bites, thinking about the offer.</p><p>	"You don't have to if you're not comfortable, of course.."	</p><p>Nora swallowed a mouthful of noodles. "I'd love to stay. Thanks, Nick."</p><p>	She wolfed down the rest of the bowl a little too quickly, and gave Dogmeat a few of the rubbery chunks of meat that were mixed in. </p><p>	"You'll spoil him with all those table scraps."</p><p>	"What are you, my mom?"</p><p>	"I think I'm a little too young to be your mom."</p><p>	"True," she said, placing the empty container on the floor. "I certainly don't feel over 200, though."</p><p>	"Cheer up. You don't look a day over 190." </p><p>	Nora couldn't help but laugh at that one. It felt good to laugh again. Something about the synth's presence was nice. He already felt like a friend, though she couldn't stop reminding herself that he wasn't human. The glowing eyes and skeletal hand might take some getting used to.</p><p>	"I hate to bring up the subject again," Nick said, turning to face her. "But Kellogg - he used to live here, in town."</p><p>	"Really?" Her heart skipped a beat.</p><p>	"He had a kid with him - but the boy was about ten years old," he quickly added. Nora felt a knot in her gut.</p><p>	"So...it couldn't have been Shaun." She felt the tears threaten to break through again.</p><p>	"Unfortunately," he said, voice somber. "Big difference between an infant and a ten-year old, but that doesn't mean we're on the wrong track." he dug out a new cigarette from his coat pocket. "He could have a son of his own. Or maybe he's turned kidnapping into a bad habit."</p><p>	"So he's not in town anymore?"</p><p>	The detective shook his head. "Both of them vanished a while ago. Haven't been heard or seen since."</p><p>	The knot in her stomach got tighter and the lump in her throat threatened to come back again. Nick must have noticed her expression, and gave her an encouraging smile.</p><p>	"Hey. Tomorrow, after you get some more rest, let's you and I take a walk over to Kellogg's last known address. See if we can snoop out where he went."</p><p>	"Can't we go now?" Nora was desperate, but she also felt her body screaming at her for sleep.</p><p>	"Won't do us any good to be creeping around an old house in the middle of the night," he said. "And I'm going to insist you get some shut-eye. You've been through enough today."</p><p>	Nora leaned back onto the wall behind her and sighed. "I guess."</p><p>	Nick smirked. "That's the spirit."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>But we - we know that nothin's free</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Damn it," Nick muttered as he fumbled around with the complicated lock on Kellogg's previous residence. <i>If this was a terminal I'd be in by now</i>, he thought.</p><p>He had been using the hand stripped of flesh as a sort of lockpick, since the fingers were needle-thin, but it wasn't really getting him anywhere.</p><p>He hoped Nora was having better luck than him. With a swear, he withdrew his index finger from the lock, crossing his arms and leaning on a shanty wall.</p><p>In the distance, he saw the lift to the mayor's office lowering. He figured it was his new companion, and hoped she'd managed to bribe her way in - maybe she'd even stolen the key.</p><p>The synth watched her half-jog down the trade square and up the stairs to where he was waiting, grin plastered on her face. She jangled the key at the synth. "Got it!"</p><p>"How'd you manage to pull that one off?"</p><p>"Charm and good looks?"</p><p>He rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Aaaand we're in," she said, finally getting access to the ramshackle home.</p><p>He followed closely behind, scanning the floor for any mines or tripwires. </p><p>"Kellogg must have left something behind," he said once he was convinced they were in the clear. He started searching drawers for anything suspicious. Nora tried the other side of the room.</p><p>Nick took another look around. "Place seem small to you? Figured a guy like Kellogg would think big."</p><p>"Maybe he'll have a spinning bookcase like a Scooby Doo villain," she replied, looking underneath a dusty couch. </p><p>"Or a candlestick on the wall you can pull down," Nick added.</p><p>"A marble bust with a button under the head," Nora started laughing.</p><p>Nick couldn't resist a chuckle. He peeked upstairs but all he found was a stained mattress and some empty beer bottles.</p><p>"Wait," he heard Nora say. There was a whoosh, followed by Nora laughing even harder.</p><p>There had indeed been a hidden room. He joined in on her laughter. The absurdity of the situation was too much. Nora, still giggling, walked through the doorframe and started rummaging through Kellogg's stuff. </p><p>The synth started examining a table full of empty beer bottles, cigarettes, and bullet casings. "Look at this. All of a merc's favorite things."</p><p>Nora paused and beckoned him over. "Check this out - these look like some awfully fancy cigars." She passed one to Nick, who looked it over.</p><p>He hummed. "'San Francisco Sunlights', eh? Interesting brand. Won't lead us anywhere on its own, though."</p><p>Nora's brow furrowed. "There's gotta be something here."</p><p>Nick thought for a moment, sitting on Kellogg's half-broken desk chair. He could sense his new friend starting to get antsy.</p><p>"Say," he said, shooting her a look. "What about Dogmeat?"</p><p>"What about him?"</p><p>"A Commonwealth mutt like him can track a man's scent for miles. And with those cigars, he'd have a pretty strong trail to follow."</p><p>"That just might work," she said. "It's probably a unique brand on this coast."</p><p>"Why don't we go fetch him, see if he picks up a trail?"</p><p>Nora nodded, determination in her eyes. She grabbed a few of the cigars and started heading for the door. Nick put a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"Before you head out..." he made a noise like he was clearing his throat, though physically that was impossible. "I know this is personal business. If you have to face Kellogg on your own -"</p><p>"Nick, I don't think I could do this without you."</p><p>He was taken aback by her statement, but didn't let it show. He just smiled down at her. "Well alright. Let's go get that bastard. This is your show from here on out, okay? You say jump, I'll say how high."</p><p>"You're gonna regret putting me in charge," she grinned over her shoulder as she left Kellogg's house behind them.</p><p>Nick smiled back. "We'll see about that. You may be an old timer but I've got some experience on you."</p><p>His optics adjusted to the bright sun beating down on Diamond City. His temperature readings were registering high. </p><p>Nora had her hair pulled back behind her, wild curls barely touching the back of her neck. She stopped at the noodle stand and bought some waters for their journey ahead. An old client greeted Nick, and he exchanged a few pleasantries while he waited for his new partner to pay for her things.</p><p>The vault dweller sighed when she walked under the shade of the detective agency. "It is way too damn hot out." She rolled up her sleeves and fanned herself with a leaflet. She grabbed her old shoulderbag and slung it across her middle.</p><p>"You ready?" She asked. </p><p>"Let me just fill Ellie in," Nick replied. He took the stairs while Nora stayed behind and gave Dogmeat a whiff of the cigars.</p><p>"You two find a lead?" Ellie asked. She was brushing her hair. Probably getting ready to run some errands. </p><p>"I think so," the detective said. "We might be gone a while, we're not sure how far out Kellogg's gone."</p><p>Ellie pursed her lips. "You'd better be careful, alright?"</p><p>"I will! Nora's gonna make sure of it." He gave his secretary a pat on the shoulder before heading back down.</p><p>Nora was bent over, speaking excitedly to the dog. "You think you can follow this smell, boy?"</p><p>He barked excitedly, and shot out of the door as soon as it was opened.</p><p>"Guess that's a yes!" She hurried after him.</p><p>Nick smiled to himself. Maybe he really could help reunite her with her son. He wondered about what Ellie said. Nora had a way about her that he really enjoyed, and he did need a new partner...</p><p>"Valentine, come on!" Nora's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Her and her dog were already considerably farther down the road than he was. He jogged to catch up to them.<br/>
They followed Dogmeat for nearly an hour, long past the safety of Diamond City. The streets were quiet that day, possibly due to the heat. Their canine friend was definitely following a trail, though.</p><p>"That dog has one hell of a nose," he said, breaking the silence.</p><p>"I'm wondering if it's not some post-War adaptation," Nora said. "I remember dogs having a good sense of smell, but not <i>this</i> good."</p><p>Nick hummed. "Animals sure do change a lot when doused in radiation for a couple hundred years."</p><p>"Yeah," his partner replied. "One of my first days out I saw a mosquito bigger than a housecat. Nearly shit myself right there on the street."</p><p>"Reasonable reaction if you ask me," Nick laughed.</p><p>"I probably still have a lot to learn," she said. "Everything is so different now."</p><p>"I bet." Nick and Nora waited while Dogmeat sniffed around the remnants of an old caravan wreck. His partner sat down on an old log and massaged her sore legs.</p><p>"I - before we met up," she said carefully, "I saw a couple of raiders who...I'm not sure how to describe it. They looked like they had...rotted, or something."</p><p>"Ah, I'm willing to bet you saw some Ghouls."</p><p>"Like...ghosts?"</p><p>"No, that's what we call people who got, uh, affected by the bombs. The ones who didn't die. Most of 'em are probably from around your time."</p><p>She seemed to freeze at that. "There are other pre-war people out here?" She turned and looked up at him. Her eyes were wide. "I didn't see anyone like that in Diamond City."</p><p>He sat down next to her while she poured the dog a bit of water. "See - a lot of people don't...feel safe around Ghouls," he said. "The mayor kicked all of them out, years ago."</p><p>Her brow furrowed. "That seems kinda fucked up. Aren't they just people?"</p><p>"Well, yes. Unfortunately, sometimes, a Ghoul's brain starts to rot from the effects of the radiation," Nick said. He adjusted his hat uncomfortably. "'Ferals', they call 'em. They get dangerous, attack people for no reason."</p><p>"Oh," she frowned. "But still...to kick them all out? That doesn't sit right with me."</p><p>"I wasn't happy with it," Nick sighed. "But I'm not a person either, so I don't really have much say in the matter."</p><p>"You <i>are</i> a person," she corrected. Nick felt a shock through his system. He just wasn't used to being called a person, especially someone he had barely known for a week.</p><p>"Tell that to the rest of the Commonwealth," he said.</p><p>Nora sat back up, giving Dogmeat a scratch behind his ears. She looked up at Nick, and with utmost sincerity, said something Nick never forgot.<br/>
"I'll tell everyone I need to, Valentine."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nowhere left to go, goin's all we know.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kellogg's lifeless corpse fell to the ground with a thud. </p><p>There were tears slowly falling down Nora's face. </p><p>"That bastard won't be hurting anyone else," Nick said, but there wasn't any joy in his voice. </p><p>They hadn't found Shaun, and they were left with more questions than ever. The Institute really did have him. Why her son? Why a baby?</p><p>She stumbled backwards, her knees buckling underneath her. She fell, just hard enough to hurt. She saw Nick turn at the noise, rushing to her side.</p><p>"You alright, Nora?" he asked softly. She felt a sob threatening to escape.</p><p>"I just..." she wiped the moisture from her cheeks. "I just thought this would lead us to my baby."</p><p>"Hey," Nick said. He had a firm tone, but it wasn't aggressive. "We're not giving up yet. Now we know for sure where he is. The Institute."</p><p>"Take some deep breaths. I'll have a look around." He stood up, surveying the command center they'd tracked Kellogg down to.<br/>
Nora watched the detective do his work. He eventually set his eye on an old terminal. She stared as he tapped away at the keys with impressive speed. </p><p>"Kellogg definitely had some connections. No doubt about that," he muttered. "Lots of info in here, not a whole lot of it helpful for us."</p><p>Nora pulled herself together and shakily got on her feet. She wondered if Kellogg had anything on him physically that could hint to the location of the Institute. The idea of going there terrified her, but she needed Shaun. She had no choice, as far as she was concerned.</p><p>Corpses definitely made her a little squeamish, but she pushed past it, digging through the merc's pockets. Nothing but a couple caps and bullets. She lifted him up to see if the back pockets had anything in them, but had no luck.</p><p>There was a metallic pang when she set the body back down. "What the hell? Did Kellogg have a plate in his head?"</p><p>She propped his head up, looking for the exit wound from her shot. There was a distinct lack of blood. "Nick, come look at this."</p><p>The detective knelt down next to her. "Huh, that's not the color a skull should be." He dug a small switchblade out of his coat. "Ugh, this is gonna be messy..."<br/>
There was a sickening noise as the synth essentially scalped the man. Nora's stomach turned.<br/>
"Oh ho ho," Nick said. "Looks like our little Kellogg had some work done." His partner looked up, and immediately gasped.</p><p>"What the fuck is that?"</p><p>"Cybernetic brain," Nick said, attempting to pry it out of Kellogg's open head. "Not sure why a non-synth would have one, but I'm willing to bet this would have some use for us. A little morbid, but if you're okay with it..."</p><p>"Anything for Shaun."</p><p> </p><p>A half hour of bloody, nasty work later, and they had Kellogg's weird robo-brain in a heavily-layered sack stuffed in Nora's bag. </p><p>"Thanks for doing that for me," Nora said as Nick washed some of the bloodstains from his artificial skin.</p><p>"I told you, we're gonna get our way into the Institute no matter what." He smiled gently down at her. "How are you holdin' up?"</p><p>"I just want to get back to the office," she admitted. "I'm sorry you've been having to baby me all week."</p><p>He cocked an eyebrow. "Baby you? You're the one who saved me from Skinny Malone. You're just going through a lot. Lots of people would have given up by now, you know."</p><p>Nora wasn't sure what to say. Nick had been the kindest person she'd encountered since this entire nightmare started, and he continued to surprise her. It felt like they already really understood each other. She supposed going through that much with a person would make you feel closer to them, compared to more normal circumstances. She didn't say anything, content to watch him get the stains out of his coat sleeves.</p><p>"I think we got what we came here for," he said. "Do you wanna head out?"</p><p>"It's pretty late," Nora said. "Might be better for us to hunker down until the sun comes back up."</p><p>"Good point. Too many corpses around here, though. We can grab Dogmeat and find somewhere to stay."</p><p>The wasteland had cooled down significantly since their journey had started. Following Kellogg's cigar trail had taken a little over two days, but after some research on local roads she found a more clear route that would easily knock off twelve hours.<br/>
Traveling at night was dangerous. Low vision and more raiders were not a good combination.</p><p>They picked up Dogmeat, and began scouting for a place to stay. Nick seemed to be in good spirits. He hummed an old jazz song as he checked for unlocked doors.<br/>
As the group turned a corner to check a row of apartments, Dogmeat stopped in his tracks and his ears perked up. Nora listened, and sure enough she heard gunfire, not too far from them. </p><p>Nora scanned the immediate area for hostiles. She checked the horizon carefully for any movement, but couldn't see anything. She took tentative steps forward. All too late, she heard the telltale beeping of a plasma mine.<br/>
"Oh, shit." It was right under her feet. </p><p>She took off, full sprint, shoving Nick and Dogmeat out of the way.</p><p>On the one hand, she only got a few scrapes from some shrapnel. </p><p>On the other hand, the explosion was LOUD.</p><p>She heard frantic shouting coming from their left, and ducked behind some rubble. They watched a group of raiders enter the block, shouting and checking behind old foundations.</p><p>"Six of 'em," Nora whispered, taking aim at the nearest one. It was only a matter of time before they got caught. She gave Nick a nod, and shot one of the raiders directly in the head.</p><p>The rest of the raiders scattered, screaming and shooting in all directions. Nora took advantage of their panic, shooting another one in the arm.</p><p>The synth shot one of them right above the knee, and he collapsed in a screaming heap. Nora managed to severely wound another before ducking back in their hiding spot.<br/>
Nora saw the slightest movement out of the corner of her eye. Everything seemed to slow down as she noticed a raider come in from their right, the opposite of where the others were coming from. Her eyes followed the rifle's laser sight directly to Nick. </p><p>"Watch out!" </p><p>She tried to grab him by the sleeve but it was too late. She heard a sickening crack, metal falling to the pavement, and wires sparking. </p><p>Her brain immediately tried to go into panic mode. She chucked her last remaining smoke grenade over her shoulder.</p><p>"Nick!"</p><p>He looked up at her. His right arm was completely shattered at the elbow. He held the remnants of his arm with the remaining hand, grimacing.</p><p>"I'm fine, just - get the rest of them!" </p><p>Nora reluctantly tore her eyes away from the detective, shooting through the smoke at another gunman. Dogmeat took off towards the marksman who had shot Nick, mauling him as he screamed.</p><p>Silence finally fell. She dropped her gun and ran to his side. She could see shards of metal and wires poking out of where the rest of his arm had been. </p><p>"Oh my God, Nick, are you okay?"</p><p>He hissed through his teeth. "It ah, doesn't feel great, but it's probably not as painful as a real arm would be."</p><p>"What do you need me to do?" </p><p>"Just go back to Diamond City, get Ellie. She's had to fix this damn thing half a dozen times."</p><p>Nora couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Nick, there's no way I'm leaving you out here. Not while you're in pain and don't even have your shooting arm."</p><p>"It's not that far out, I -"</p><p>"No," She interrupted. "Absolutely not." </p><p>He blinked in surprise. </p><p>"You said I was calling the shots here, right? Well, we're leaving here together. I have tools in my bag, just - just tell me what you need."</p><p>He chuckled. "Shit. I'm not changing your mind on this, am I?"</p><p>Nora shook her head. "I can be a stubborn bitch when I need to be."</p><p>"We'll probably need a chair and a desk, then."</p><p> </p><p>There was an old convenience store nearby, one with most of its furniture intact. Nick sat down and tried to unbutton his shirt with one hand, frowning when it proved more difficult than he'd anticipated.</p><p>Nora dug through her bag for a small screwdriver.</p><p>"Normally we'd need a soldering iron," Nick said, "But I think we can keep - ah," he flinched when his sleeve brushed up against one of the wires. "I think we can keep it together with screws and duct tape 'til we get back to the office."</p><p>He huffed when he fumbled with the buttons again. </p><p>"I got you," Nora said. She leaned over him, sliding his old trenchcoat off.</p><p>"You could at least buy me dinner first," Nick said, grinning.</p><p>Nora scowled. "Don't be a dick."</p><p>She took his tie off and set it aside. She couldn't help but hesitate when she realized she'd have to take his entire shirt off. </p><p>
  <i>God damn it Valentine, why'd you have to make it weird? </i>
</p><p>She started unbuttoning, hoping it was too dark for him to see the redness in her face. Why did she feel so uncomfortable? </p><p>Now that the shirt was open, she gingerly slid one half off his bad shoulder. She looked down, and couldn't shake the knowledge that he was essentially half-naked. </p><p>Nick didn't seem bothered by it at all. </p><p>His chest and abdomen were cut into large segments. The segments were separated by seams, much like the ones on his skull. The material was shaped to resemble pecs and lean stomach muscle. He even had a naval.<br/>
Some of his skin had peeled off near where his ribcage would be, exposing the wires and plates underneath. The damage from his neck, as Nora suspected, went further down, to his clavicle. </p><p>"I know it's not pretty, but ya don't have to stare," he said lightly. Nora snapped back out if it, and felt her face redden even deeper.</p><p>"Sorry, I - how do I fix you?" she asked quickly. She tried to avoid looking at his body any further.</p><p>"See that red wire? Plug it into that socket," he pointed to the part of his arm that had fallen off. </p><p>Nora focused solely on getting Nick back together. She tried to ignore that their knees were touching, that she could smell the cigarettes on his clothes, that his eyes were so focused on her -</p><p>"Great, now that blue wire goes under that hinge." </p><p>"Got it."</p><p>"Alright, now the casing goes on top of that, and put those screws in."</p><p>She carefully placed the casing on top of the internal wiring, and spun the screwdriver as smoothly as she could.</p><p>"Great job kid, we're almost done. Now since we don't have that soldering iron, just duct tape those two hinges together. I'll lose some mobility, but it'll be fine enough to get back to the city."</p><p>Nora did what she was asked. Nick moved his arm around a bit, and smiled when nothing fell off. "Thanks for the fix, doc." </p><p>She couldn't help notice the synth still only had his pants on. Why was it making her so uncomfortable? Maybe it was how his body looked. She wasn't expecting it to look quite so human. Whoever manufactured the detective had used a pretty nice model. It was a body type she usually preferred in men. In a way, it was pretty sexy, even --</p><p><i>Nope, nope, nope</i>. She stopped that train of thought immediately. <i>That's fucking weird</i>. He was a synth, she didn't even know if synths had the capacity for --</p><p><i>Aaah, nope</i>! She made herself stare at the ground, tried to count the number of tiles that remained.</p><p>"You alright, partner?"</p><p>She looked back up at Nick, who thankfully was fully dressed. He looked mildly concerned.</p><p>Nora cleared her throat. "Oh, um, yeah! I'm - I'm just tired, I'm glad you're okay, just been a long day is all!" She forced a smile.</p><p>"Oh, well maybe we can camp out here. Get you some shut-eye." He pushed around some old cans with his foot, making room for Nora's bedroll.</p><p>"That's a good idea," Nora said. She put her tools back in her bag.</p><p>She lay down on her side, facing away from the detective. <i>What the hell was that about</i>?</p><p><i>It's gotta just be some weird overreaction to seeing a synth like that for the first time</i>, she reasoned. It'd been a long while since she'd seen a man in a vulnerable position. It was just a coincidence that man happened to be Nick. And being so close, fixing his arm, it couldn't help but feel kind of intimate. </p><p>She sighed. <i>That's gotta be it. Just a weird, one-time reaction</i>.</p><p>There's no way she was catching feelings for a synthetic man.</p><p>Right.</p><p>...Right?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For the record, I've been using this synth deterioration chart as reference - Nick is probably around stage three.</p><p>fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Synth?file=Synth_-_Generation.jpg</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Come, last leg of sunset.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Well, well, Nicky Valentine walks into my office for a change."</p><p>The synth always hated that nickname, but he'd long since learned not to try and convince Piper to do just about anything.</p><p>"What can I say, Piper? You, me, and hard luck all seem to run together like acid rain down an old sewer."</p><p>"What part of that analogy is Nora?" </p><p>"I'm fine with anything but the sewer," the vault dweller responded. Nick laughed dryly.</p><p>"Hey, Blue," Piper said, striding over to Nick's new partner and grabbing her gently by the shoulder. "You still owe me an interview, you know." Piper wasn't particularly tall by any means, but she still towered over her. Seemed like Nora just made everyone look giant. "It could really give us a chance to get to know each other a little, and bring in some readers while we're at it -"</p><p>"Piper, please," Nick sighed. "We came here to talk, not for you to get all pushy."</p><p>Nora spoke up. "It's okay, Nick. I can do an interview, but it's gonna cost you. Information."</p><p>"Oh, she's good." Piper winked. She gestured to an old couch.</p><p>The two took a seat, and Piper pulled up a rusted metal desk chair. Nora fidgeted uncomfortably. </p><p>"So, what's the scoop? Your baby's missing, right?"</p><p>"Piper, we need your help. This man named Kellogg, he... he took Shaun, gave him to the Institute." Nora fidgeted uncomfortably.</p><p>"Oh, shit," Piper said, putting down her pen. "The Institute?"</p><p>"We were wondering if you had anything helpful for us."</p><p>"Just the basics, I'm afraid," Piper crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. "Sometimes they snatch people in the middle of the night. And sometimes they leave old synths behind to remind us that they're out there. But to this day, there's one thing nobody knows -"</p><p>"Where the Institute actually is," the detective finished. "Or how to get in."</p><p>"Exactly. But there's one person who must know, right? The guy who just handed them Shaun," Piper said, scribbling down some notes.</p><p>Nick looked over at Nora. She made eye contact for a second before breaking it. "He probably had a way in and out, if he was telling the truth," she said.</p><p>"We both know he's not exactly available for a chat and coffee." Nick frowned. It's not like they had a choice in killing Kellogg, but he was their only real lead. </p><p>Nora nodded, slowly. "Yeah, we...had to kill Kellogg. It was him or us."</p><p>"Damn," the reporter muttered. "A murderer and a kidnapper gets his brains blown out by an avenging parent. It'd be a great ending if we didn't still have the biggest mystery in the Commonwealth left to solve."</p><p>There was a slight shock to Nick's systems. Something about what Piper had said was making his memory bank tick. He concentrated for a minute, going over the statement again.<br/>
Then it hit him.</p><p>"Brains...brains," he muttered, and looked over at Nora again. She just blinked at him, confused. "You know...maybe we don't need the man at all."</p><p>Piper cocked her head to the side. "You're talking crazy here Nick. Got a fault in the ol' subroutines?"</p><p>"No, no, listen - there's a town not far from here. Has a place called the Memory Den. People go there to relive the past moments in your mind as clear as the day they happened. And the doctor there - Amari - she's the one who knows how to extract memories from the brain."</p><p>He saw the light turn on in Nora's head. "And we have Kellogg's brain, the cybernetic one."</p><p>Piper grimaced. "You took the guy's <i>brain</i>? Jesus, that's nasty."</p><p>"It's a long story. But - Nora - stay with me on this. We bring that cybernetic brain to Amari, see what she can do with it."</p><p>Nora seemed to be struggling to piece all of it together in her mind. "I'm not sure, Nick. That seems a little...out there."</p><p>"You're talking to a synth. <i>I</i> am a little out there. I just need you to trust me on this."</p><p>Nora looked at the ground for a few seconds before moving her gaze back up. She had fire in her eyes. "Alright, Valentine. Let's do this."</p><p>Piper regained her composure and stood up. "This is crazy...but I've done crazier. Let me know if you want my help, Blue."</p><p>Nick didn't want to go without Nora, but he knew the two women would easily be able to defend themselves. "I have to go to the Memory Den either way, if I'm gonna introduce you to Amari. But if you want to head there together, just say so."<br/>
His calm demeanor didn't give anything away, but internally he was hoping Nora would go with him instead. The idea of traveling alone just didn't have any appeal to him, not after he'd gotten used to the company.</p><p>"I'm coming with you, partner." She was still looking at him with those big brown eyes of hers. </p><p>"Well, all right...partner." Nick smiled and got ready to leave. "We'll get your son back, just a few more steps."</p><p>"While you two are out, I'm gonna do some more research. I'll be here if you need me, okay?" Piper said, walking them out. "Oh, and Nora? You stil owe me that interview."</p><p> </p><p>Nick and his new partner turned their backs to Diamond City once again, their loyal canine in tow. It was overcast and humid, and Nora made it known she wasn't a fan of it. Nick was thankful he wasn't capable of feeling temperature, one of the few perks of being a synth.</p><p>"So, what's Goodneighbor like?"</p><p>Nick hesitated. He didn't want to turn her off of the place, but he still felt like she deserved to have a warning.</p><p>"Ah - it's where most of the Ghouls went to after the mayor kicked them all out of the city," Nick began. He kicked a pebble down the paved street and watched how far it traveled.</p><p>"Well, that's good," Nora said. "I'm glad they made a community of themselves."</p><p>"It's got a mayor, and security," He said as he fished around his coat for a cigarette. "But it's a little, ah, seedy? You get a lot of shady folk comin' in and out of the place. A lot more crime happens there than in Diamond City, that's for sure."</p><p>"Poorer areas always have more crime. Desperate people sometimes have to do bad shit."</p><p>"The mayor doesn't exactly discourage it," Nick said. He didn't want to badmouth Hancock before Nora even met him, but he couldn't help some of it seep through. "I think he likes the violence. Finds it fun."</p><p>Nora seemed to need a second to digest the information. Nick took a drag of his cigarette, letting the smoke float lazily out of the holes in his face. He wasn't even sure why he kept up the habit.<br/>
Nora stayed silent, picking at her fingernails nervously. She'd been extra anxious the past few days, and Nick could tell. He figured it was about Shaun, but it still made him a little sad. </p><p>"Goodneighbor's just a couple blocks ahead," Nick broke the silence. "It's getting late, hopefully the Memory Den will still be open."</p><p>Nora huffed. "With our luck?"</p><p>"Chin up, kid." He touched her shoulder, and he wasn't sure whether or not he imagined her tense up. Either way, he let go. Sometimes it was easy to forget that most people didn't like a synth touching them. </p><p>"Sorry I've been such a debbie downer," Nora said, putting her hands behind her head. "I've definitely not felt like myself lately."</p><p>"Who could blame you?"</p><p>"I mean, if you took a poll..." Nora grinned. Nick rolled his eyes, but couldn't resist smiling back. Dogmeat barked, like he wanted to join in on the conversation. Nora gave him a scratch on the ears.</p><p>The trio turned a corner, and there stood the entrance to Goodneighbor, spelled out in old lights. </p><p>"Any last-minute advice?"</p><p>"Just stay on your toes," Nick said. "Never know what's gonna happen in a town like this."</p><p>He pushed open the heavy wooden gate. His partner looked around, but he couldn't read her expression. She eyed the guards, and he realized it was going to be her real first-hand experience dealing with Ghouls. He opened his mouth to ask if she was alright, but a gruff voice cut him off.</p><p>"Well, well. If it ain't the detective." </p><p>Nick frowned. He'd seen the man before, but couldn't place his name. Bald, leather jacket, generic shady guy. All he remembered was that he'd been a pain in the ass.</p><p>"Tracking down another wayward husband to his mistress?" The man asked, flicking the butt of a cigarette towards them.</p><p>"Why, someone stand you up?" Nick asked. He heard Nora snicker from behind him.</p><p>Nick could practically hear the cogs turning in the man's head. "You tryin' that, uh - evasive language on me?" The synth couldn't help rolling his eyes.</p><p>"You know this clown, Nick?" Nora asked incredulously. The bald guy turned to look at Nora, it seemed like he hadn't even noticed she was there.</p><p>"Ah, and who's this? Valentine's little dick-in-training?"</p><p>Nora remained deadpan. "I don't think you're the one who should be talking about little dicks."</p><p>It took some self-control for the detective to not laugh at that one. The man took a step towards them, and Nick got ready to defend his partner, if need be.</p><p>"Don't be like that, girlie," He smirked. "You just look like you're in the market for a little, uh," he clicked his tongue, "...insurance. And it just so happens ol' Finn here can help you out."</p><p>"We can take care of ourselves, thanks," the vault dweller responded. She folded her arms. If she was nervous, she wasn't letting it show.</p><p>"Nah, nah, you don't understand," Finn said. He took a second step forwards. The smile on his face was gone. "You hand over everything you got in them pockets, or 'accidents' start happenin' to ya."</p><p>Nick moved his hand under his coat, ready to grab his gun. Dogmeat's ears were back and he was growling. Before either side could make a move, Nick saw a Ghoul in a familiar coat step out of the shadows.</p><p>"Whoa, whoa. Time out," Hancock said, holding his arms apart. " Nick Valentine makes a rare visit to town, and you're hassling his friend here with that extortion crap?"<br/>
He looked over at Nick with a wink. "Nice seein' you again, Nick."</p><p>The detective nodded. "Hancock." The two men had a somewhat complicated history, but Nick couldn't help having a begrudging respect for the mayor. </p><p>Finn scoffed. "What do you care? She's not one of us."</p><p>"No love for your mayor, Finn?" His demeanor turned from friendly to threatening in the blink of an eye. "I said. Let her go."</p><p>Nick glanced back at Nora, who was watching the scene with wide eyes.</p><p>"You're soft, Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, one day there'll be a new mayor," Finn spat, getting up in Hancock's face. He was easily a few heads taller than the Ghoul, but he didn't even flinch. Instead, he smiled.</p><p>"Come on, man. This is me we're talking about." He held an arm out. "Let me tell you something - "<br/>
While Finn was watching one arm, Hancock's other arm shot out, stabbing the extortionist in the gut. He went down quickly. The mayor shook his head, looking down at the man who was bleeding out in a heap on the ground.</p><p>"Now why'd you have to go and say that, huh? Breaking my heart over here," he said, before turning to look at Nora.</p><p>"You alright, sister?"</p><p>"I am now," Nora said smoothly. "Hancock, was it?" She held her hand out, and they shook.</p><p>"That's what they call me," he grinned. "It's not often Valentine strolls in with a young lady. To what do I owe the pleasure?"</p><p>Nick tried not to show the irritation he was feeling. Hancock was always a shameless flirt but he seemed even worse this time around. <i>Maybe it's because he finally found a woman shorter than him</i>, he thought.<br/>
"Just passing through," Nora said. "I kinda dragged him here after he told me about this place." She cocked an eyebrow. "Gotta say, I wasn't expecting a mayor quite like you."</p><p>"Weren't expecting me to be so ruggedly handsome?"</p><p>Nora giggled. "It <i>is</i> a pleasant surprise."</p><p>Nick's eyebrows shot up. Was she flirting with Hancock?</p><p>"I like to think I've got that sexy, 'king of the zombies' kinda look. Big hit with the ladies," the Ghoul wore that shit-eating grin of his, and Nick felt himself get even more annoyed.</p><p>He was about to interject when he saw his partner twirl a strand of hair around her finger. "I'll be sure to mention the eye candy to my gals back home," she said.</p><p>The mayor just laughed. It was boisterous and loud enough to echo through the narrow alleyways. "I'm gonna like you, sister. You'll fit in just fine." He gave her a wink, and Nick a pat on the arm. "Enjoy your stay in Goodneighbor, folks."</p><p>He strolled away with a bodyguard, seemingly having forgotten about the corpse in the middle of the street.</p><p>Nora was slightly flushed. </p><p>"What the Hell was that about?" Nick asked, his eyes wide.</p><p>His partner shrugged. "Guess I just have unconventional tastes."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope there wasn't too much ingame dialogue. I tried to spice it up a bit, let me know what you think!<br/>Thanks for the continued support, this is my first fic so I'm shocked at the love it's getting!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I'm keen to play with fire, but now I'm not so sure.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"They made a bar out of an old subway station? That's so cool!" Nora grinned, walking a bit further ahead of Nick. His suggestion to go see the Third Rail had her in high spirits.</p><p>The detective smiled. "See, kid, that's what I like about you. Your enthusiasm is very refreshing."</p><p>Nora felt her heart jump into her throat, and tried to ignore it. <i>Another coincidence</i>, she told herself. </p><p>They descended a broken escalator, and Nora wasn't sure what to look at first. There were seating arrangements ranging from stools to couches, an old bar with a Mister Handy attending, some neat light fixtures, and a woman singing some jazz classics. The ceiling was high, the lighting was bright, and all of the main action was built directly on the old subway rails. There were a few small groups of wanderers and mercs scattered across the seating areas, drinking and having casual conversation.</p><p>"Hey, I still owe you that drink. What's your poison?" Nick asked as they found some old leather chairs.</p><p>Nora shrugged. "I'm not really an alcohol person. Get me something girly and fruity, I guess."</p><p>The synth chuckled. "One cocktail comin' up," he said, walking over to the bar.<br/>
Nora watched the gentle swaying of his coat. She sighed, but wasn't sure why. She looked over at the singer to distract herself.</p><p>The singer moved slowly and smoothly, caressing the microphone when she went in for another line. Her A-line dark hair framed her sharp features beautifully. The plunging neckline of her dress didn't leave much to the imagination, and Nora felt her eyes lingering on her hourglass figure a little too long.</p><p>"Might wanna take your jaw off the floor," Nick's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.</p><p>"I - what are you talking about?" she stammered. The lighting was colorful enough that she hoped he couldn't see her blushing.</p><p>He handed her the drink she'd asked for. "Nora, come on. I might be a synth, but I know what that look means."</p><p>Nora opened her mouth to say something, but took a long sip of her drink instead. She wasn't sure how to explain it away. It would be pretty useless to lie to him, she thought. But she remembered the last time she'd admitted her attraction to women, and the complete fallout that followed.<br/>
He was still watching her, and his expression changed from curiosity to one of sympathy. "I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that, partner. It's not any of my business."</p><p>"I - it's okay," she managed to spit out. "I shouldn't be ogling strangers," she laughed nervously and gulped down half the glass. She was feeling way too much at once to be sober.</p><p>"I, um," she uncrossed and re-crossed her legs uncomfortably. "I - you know. Enjoy the company of men and women. I...last time I had this conversation it didn't go well," she admitted.</p><p>Nick sat back up and looked at her. He had a soft expression, not one of judgement. "Hey, don't worry. It's not like before the bombs dropped - people are too busy trying to survive to care about orientation anymore. You're safe with me."</p><p>She felt her heart swell, and the urge to sob. That was the first time she'd ever really received a positive reaction, aside from her late husband.</p><p>"You want me to introduce you to Magnolia?" He asked with a smirk. "I'm a decent wingman."</p><p>"Don't you dare, Valentine," she shot him a look before finishing the rest of her drink a little too quickly. Nick still had that damn smile on his face. He probably enjoyed seeing her get so flustered.</p><p>He looked back at the singer, smiling contentedly. "She's good though, eh?"</p><p>Nora nodded. "It's been a long time since I've heard the classics."</p><p>She glanced over at her partner. His eyes were half-lidded, his posture relaxed. The neon lighting bounced off of his cybernetics, and deepened the shadows of the scars patterning his face. His smile was subtle, just one corner of his mouth was lifted. </p><p>That was the first time she felt the overwhelming urge to kiss him on the lips.</p><p>As soon as she felt that, her brain went into full panic mode. She jumped up out of her seat, startling Nick. "You okay?"</p><p>"Yeah - I just have to pee," she said, and quickly turned away. </p><p><i>Shit. Shit, shit, shit</i>. She splashed her face with water. She couldn't find excuses anymore. That wasn't a coincidence.</p><p>So she maybe had a little crush on her partner. <i>That's not a big deal. It's just gonna be one of those things that goes away in a week. He's a synth, so he's probably out-of-bounds anyway. It's fine.<br/>
Yeah. It'll be a little awkward for a while, but I'll be fine</i>, she thought.<i> And now he's gonna be worried if you stay in here too long</i>. She pulled her hair back in a messy bun, and prepared herself to go back to the bar.</p><p>~</p><p>Nora had a few more glasses than she'd originally intended, and she was tipsy. Her miserably low alcohol tolerance didn't help. She wasn't enough to be blackout drunk, but her vision waved hazily around her and she felt a pleasant buzz in her head.</p><p>Nick was the one to make her call it a night. He rented a room in Goodneighbor's only hotel, explaining that he didn't want her to be full-on drunk her first night out.</p><p>"Remind me not to buy you any more drinks," he joked as Nora fell face-first on the old mattress in their room. "Didn't take you for a lightweight."</p><p>Nora was feeling giggly and nervous, but she wasn't sure how much of that was the alcohol. "I warned you I wasn't much of a drinker."</p><p>"Hopefully you won't be too hungover in the morning," he said. "We should head to the Memory Den as soon as we can." </p><p>Nora turned so she was sitting on her back, her legs dangling off the side of the bed. She sighed. "I'll be fine, dad."</p><p>He kicked her foot gently. "Don't be a wise-ass."</p><p>"You're one to talk," she said, laughing. He joined in on her laughter.</p><p>Dogmeat jumped up on the bed to curl up next to Nora. "Aw, that's my boy," she said, hugging the big warm animal. His shaggy fur tickled at her cheeks.</p><p>"Before you drift off, do you mind if we talk?"</p><p>Nora's stomach dropped. A thousand unpleasant possibilities went through her head. She slowly sat up to look at the synth. "Is something wrong?"</p><p>"Well, I sort of had the same question." He adjusted his hat, something Nora noticed he did when he was feeling awkward. "It's just - everything that's happened to you, with your family..."</p><p>Nora felt relief in one way and dread in another. She'd been trying to avoid thinking about Shaun, about Nate. But it was difficult - and it probably didn't help that she was an emotional drunk.</p><p>"...It's a hell of a lot to process. I just wanted to make sure you're holding up." He leaned forward in his chair and looked Nora in the eye. She felt her face burn.</p><p>She chose her words carefully. "Yeah, it's...hard. I've gotten good at distracting myself, but I have...so many nightmares." She wasn't sure if she was slurring her speech at all. Her tongue felt too big for her mouth.</p><p>"I'm sorry." He said it gently and with such sincerity she could have burst into tears. "I truly am. I wish there was some way to just stop all this for you."</p><p>"You're helping me enough already," she felt sleep tug at her eyes. "And you're the first real friend I've made out here. It's just - it's so...alien. I woke up and the whole world had changed."</p><p>"It's a...difficult transition," he said. "Took me a damn long time to get a feel of this place."</p><p>"You did?"</p><p>"Yeah, but that's not important right now. You need some rest."</p><p>"Come on, think of it as a bedtime story." She was half-joking, but he indulged her anyway. He scooted his chair next to the bed so he could talk to her more directly. Nora fluffed up a pillow and laid down, turning to face him. </p><p>"Not a whole lot to tell - I was lucky enough to find Diamond City while I was still getting on my feet. 'Course, when I took up there back when, people were just as scared of the Institute as they are now, maybe more. Plenty of people assumed I was just a saboteur."</p><p>Nora frowned. "Aren't there a lot of synths not under the control of the Institute, though?"</p><p>He shrugged. "They'd had enough bad experiences with synths to not trust me."</p><p>"That's like you saying all humans are murderers because of all the raiders we run into."</p><p>He laughed softly. "I guess it is. Either way, they didn't have the option of turning me away."</p><p>"What'd you do?"</p><p>"Rescued the mayor's daughter," he said, amused. "Gal of about fifteen. City had a different mayor at the time, but she meant everything to him. Had decided she'd run off with some caravan hand she'd, uh," he cleared his throat. "<i>Known</i> for an evening."</p><p>Nora felt her heart skip several beats, and hoped he didn't notice.</p><p>"Turns out the guy was part of a gang of kidnappers. I didn't even know who I was rescuing, just stumbled on a crying girl and four toughs. I took her home and the mayor dubbed me a hero, offered me a place in town. Lots of folks protested, said I was a spy, but he wouldn't have it."</p><p>Nora's eyes were closed, but she was still awake. She enjoyed the tone of his voice, just rough and deep enough to be nice to listen to for long periods of time. "I'm trying to imagine being afraid of you, but I can't," she said quietly. "You're the nicest person in the world."</p><p>He chuckled. "And you're drunk, Nora."</p><p>"Why not both?"</p><p>"You need some shut-eye. We can talk more tomorrow, alright?"</p><p>She rolled over. "You're right, Valentine...good night."</p><p>"Sweet dreams, partner."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some say I should learn to cry.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Nick? Are you with us?"</p><p>He heard Doctor Amari's voice before he saw her. It took a few seconds for his optics to kick in, and his vision slowly returned.</p><p>"Feels like me back in this tin can," he said.</p><p>"Oh, thank God," Amari sighed, opening the memory pod so he could stand back up. "I wasn't sure what would happen when I unplugged that implant."</p><p>"Everything seems to be in the right place," he said cautiously, flexing his fingers and looking at the wires poking out. "Well, the places they were before, anyway." </p><p>He turned to see Nora still in her pod. He felt the sensation of his stomach dropping, though of course he didn't have one.</p><p>"Is she coming out of this intact?" He asked nervously.</p><p>"Her vitals seem normal," she muttered, looking at a chart on one of her monitors. "But I'm afraid there's no way to know until she wakes back up."</p><p>He felt dread seeping in. What if she wasn't okay? What would he do? Watching a partner die was an awful experience, and they'd gotten so close. Amari seemed to notice the look on his face.</p><p>"Why don't you go back upstairs and try to relax," she said softly. "I can reconnect her consciousness in a moment."</p><p>He didn't want to leave Nora's side, but he got the feeling he'd just be a distraction. He nodded and reluctantly peeled himself away from the lab.<br/>
He thought about the first thing his partner had said when Amari suggested placing the implant into Nick's brain. "<i>Is there any chance it could hurt Nick?</i>"</p><p>Amari had explained that there were, of course, about a million things that could go wrong, and Nora had initially refused. It took a few days to convince her; he knew her son was more important than some old, rotting synth. And the look on her face had practically broken that old synth's heart.</p><p>He lit one cigarette after another, if only to do something with his hands. Every minute went by agonizingly slowly.</p><p>It was absolutely batshit, when he thought about it. The two had spent almost all of their time together for nearly a month, but it already felt like they'd been friends forever. He couldn't stand the thought of having to travel alone again.</p><p>"Nick?"</p><p>He looked up to see Nora. Her eyes looked bloodshot, her hair even wilder than usual. </p><p>Nick sighed with relief. "Kid, you had me worried, I -"</p><p>He stopped talking when she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. He just stood there at first, unsure of what to do. Eventually, he slowly put his arms around her. She squeezed him tighter and she laughed, muffled by his coat.<br/>
Nick felt awkward and unsure of what to do, but he supposed he didn't <i>dislike</i> it. He still felt very tense - he'd never been hugged like that before.</p><p>She finally let go, and he let his arms drop to his side. She wiped the moisture from her face. "God, I'm sorry," she said, blushing. "My skull is on fire, I think it's making me act like a lunatic."</p><p>Nick laughed softly. "Come on, sit." He placed a hand on her upper back and led her to one of the soft Memory Den chairs. Nora sat back, evening out her breath.</p><p>"Did you find anything useful in that noggin of his?" He asked, snuffing out his cigarette.</p><p>"I know how the Institute keeps evading everyone."</p><p>"Wait, really? How?"</p><p>"Get this - they teleport."</p><p>That certainly wasn't what he was expecting. He just sat there, his mouth slightly agape.</p><p>"Yeah, not what I would have guessed either," Nora smirked. "Problem is, I'm not sure exactly how. But we have a lead - a scientist who escaped. He might be our only way to find out how to get in."</p><p>Nick collected his thoughts before asking, "How did a scientist manage to evade capture?"</p><p>"That's the thing...he's in the Glowing Sea."</p><p>"Shit. Ground zero. I don't think I know anyone who's been there."</p><p>"I'm not sure what our plan should be," Nora admitted.</p><p>"Hm," Nick pondered. "You can't just waltz in there, that's for sure. That much radiation would fry you in minutes. Maybe we can shop around for a good radiation suit, stock up on rad-x and radaway?" he couldn't help grinning as he added, "Might be hard to find a rad suit small enough for ya."</p><p>"Shut up," she laughed, elbowing him in the side. "This is serious! What about you?"</p><p>"I don't have any organs for the radiation to shred. That is, if you're still up for traveling together."</p><p>"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Valentine." </p><p>He felt almost elated, but as usual didn't let most of it show.</p><p>"Darn, guess I'm stuck with you."</p><p>Nora giggled. The color was back in her face. "So, you good to head out? We can start checking local dealers for chems and a suit."</p><p>"Lead the way, boss," Nick said. </p><p> </p><p>They left the Memory Den, mid-afternoon sun shining down on the dusty, crumbling alleyways of Goodneighbor. The pair found Dogmeat harassing some bodyguards, trying to take their food. After some rushed apologies, they headed for their hotel room to gather their things.</p><p>The vault dweller took the time to get a shower in, and Nick lay on the creaking bed while he waited, tinkering with Nora's pip-boy. </p><p>"By the way," he heard his partner's voice coming from behind the bathroom door. "Did you hear those two guards talking about that Railroad thing?"</p><p>"Yeah," he said. "Been hearin' about the Railroad for years; rumors, you know. Not sure if they really exist or not."</p><p>"What rumors?" She emerged from the bathroom, hair still dripping.</p><p>"Well, supposedly they rescue synths from the Institute. Nobody knows how or why, but that's about it. What'd those guards say - follow the Freedom Trail?"</p><p>"Freedom Trail..." she muttered. "If that's what I think it is, I know where we can find it. My dad used to take me to a place in old Boston called the Freedom Trail."</p><p>"Wouldn't you rather try and track down that hazmat suit instead of chasing rumors?"</p><p>Nora sat at the edge of the bed and laced up her boots. "We can look on the way, right? Plus...I want to help synths."</p><p>Nick was surprised by that. He'd only met a handful of humans who seemed to care about the well-being of synthetics. He wondered if it was just because she was from a different time, or because she was so close with him.</p><p>"I think you may be a bit biased," Nick said.</p><p>She shrugged. "Maybe I am. But didn't you say I'm in charge?"</p><p>"You did say I was going to regret it."</p><p> </p><p>"I won't lie and say I'm totally unbiased," she said as they headed out of their room, "But if they do help synths like the rumors say, they'd probably have a lot of info. A man on the inside, even." She turned in their room key to the front desk.</p><p>"Two birds, one stone," Nick said. "If you think it's worth our time, then I'm up for it. Let's just hope those rumors are true."</p><p>"If not," Nora said as they walked back out into the Commonwealth heat, "We'll have one weird story for Ellie when we get back."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>April showers, June is the same in your eyes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Third Rail was emptier than Nora had ever seen it, though it was the first time she had been there during daylight hours. Magnolia was gone, and only two other sparse groups of ghouls were sitting and chatting. The vault dweller was poking at some sort of overly-cooked brahmin meat, slathering some sauce on it to give it flavor.</p><p>Nora was avoiding looking at Nick directly. She thought maybe if she didn't look at him as much, her attraction would fade. Luckily for her, the synth hadn't appeared to notice anything. The pair were fine in silence, and Nick was reading a frayed, yellowed novel Nora had found in an abandoned storefront a week earlier.</p><p>"If it ain't my favorite pair of gumshoes," she heard a raspy voice come from behind her. Hancock was standing with his hands on the back of Nora's chair, smiling down at them. </p><p>The ghoul's eyes were completely black, so it was hard to tell where he was looking - but Nora had the distinct feeling he was staring at her.</p><p>"Hancock. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Nick asked, though his tone didn't quite match his words.</p><p>"Just some mayoral duties. Checking on my citizens, y'know." He was very nonchalant, relaxed. His whole attitude seemed to be in stark contrast to Nick, who took almost everything extremely seriously. "What are you folks up to this fine afternoon?"</p><p>Nora grimaced down at her flavorless meal. "We're actually going to head out soon, leads to follow."</p><p>"Aw, now that's a shame, I liked having you around. What's the case?" He had a lopsided, cocky smile on his face that Nora couldn't help but find cute.</p><p>"Classified info, I'm afraid," Nora said before drinking a few sips of water. "Though you might be able to help - any place in Goodneighbor we could find a rad suit, or some rad-away?"</p><p>He pondered that for a moment. "Most of us here are a little too crispy to warrant keeping that kinda thing in stock. You could try Daisy's Discounts, see what she's got." He cocked his head to the side. "You've got me even more curious now."</p><p>"The lady said it's classified, Hancock," Nick said, lighting a cigarette. Nora looked up at him, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks.</p><p>"Alright, alright. I can take a hint," Hancock said, holding his hands up."I'll get out of your hair. Good luck, you two." He looked back at Nora. "Keep this guy out of trouble, huh?"<br/>
Nora giggled. "I'll try."</p><p>The ghoul sauntered off, making smalltalk with the drifters as he went.</p><p>"You be careful with him."</p><p>"Who?" Nora asked, looking up at her partner.</p><p>"Hancock. I know he's all charm and good looks, but he's trouble." He sighed. "He's not a bad man. Just - has a tendency to get himself in sticky situations."</p><p>She pushed her glasses up. "If that ain't the pot calling the kettle black..."</p><p>He rolled his eyes. "Just trying to give you some advice, kid. You don't have to deflect." He said it lightly, but Nora couldn't help feeling she had hurt his feelings.</p><p>She spoke carefully. "Valentine...you know I couldn't do any of this without you, right?"</p><p>His expression softened. "Glad to hear it."</p><p>She finished her meal, cutting out a few pieces she could feed to Dogmeat during their travels.</p><p>The pair visited Daisy's storefront on their way out, but didn't find much luck. All they managed to grab was a few doses of rad-x. Daisy seemed to take a liking to the vault dweller, and gave her a sizable discount.</p><p> </p><p>The detectives began following the route to old Boston. A coastal breeze had kicked in, giving Nora some relief from the heat.</p><p>They walked in silence. At this point, natural lulls in conversation weren't awkward anymore. They didn't have to be talking all of the time, they were content in keeping each other company - though Nora still had that nagging feeling in the back of her mind.</p><p>"Would you look at that," Nick said, bringing Nora back to the present. They had been crossing part of a pre-war highway, and just happened to be on an overpass over the river. The sunset reflected smatterings of orange, pink, and purple hues on the surface of the water. A pair of radstags were a few yards away, their movement causing ripples to distort the reflection of the sky.</p><p>It had been a long time since Nora had seen something truly serene since waking up in the Commonwealth. She hoisted herself up onto the bridges' railing, watching the rest of the sun sink under the horizon. </p><p>"The sky is one of the only things that's never changed, huh?" She asked as Nick joined her.</p><p>"Beautiful as ever," he agreed.</p><p>Nora watched the radstags retreat to the sparse treeline, and heard a flock of birds flying above them.</p><p>"What was your life like - before the war?"</p><p>Nora wasn't expecting that question from the synth, but she didn't mind answering.</p><p>"It wasn't special, not really. You know about Shaun and Nate. I was a social worker...I am - I was - 24, so I had just started out. We lived in a little neighborhood up north. We would go to the drive-in every Friday and watch movies.. Nate and I would take turns making each other breakfast on the weekends. It's the little things like that...knowing I'll never get them back, it's..." she couldn't finish her sentence.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Nick said quietly. "I shouldn't have brought it up."</p><p>"Don't be sorry. These things are important to remember. They're memories I'll always have," she said, wiping a tear from her cheek.</p><p>"Maybe we can come back here, once we find Shaun. You can show him this view."</p><p>Dogmeat barked from behind them. Nora laughed. "I think Dogmeat agrees with you."</p><p>"Say, Nora," Nick began uncomfortably, shifting slightly. "Once you get Shaun back - do you ever think about what you'll do after? Any plans?"</p><p>"I haven't thought that far ahead, too busy trying not to get blown up."</p><p>He cleared his throat, and swung one leg over the rail so he was facing her. She felt her heart leap into her throat.</p><p>"I was just, uh, thinking," he stammered. "Since we seem to make a good team and all..." he dug around the inside pockets of his coat, and handed her an old fedora - it matched his perfectly. "Would you want to be my co-detective...permanently? After this is all over..." he was avoiding eye contact. "Not that you have to," he rambled, "I just - if you were inter -"</p><p>Nora cut him off mid-sentence by hugging him tightly. He wobbled, almost losing his balance. "Woah, kid, careful!" He was chuckling, but there was a hint of relief in his voice. "That's a long way to fall."</p><p>It was like in the Memory Den, but this time Nora was more clear-headed. She laughed, partly from relief and partly from happiness. When he hugged her back, she felt dizzy. Hugging him didn't quite feel like hugging a human, he was a lot more sturdy, with no real squish to him. But it felt so <i>right</i>. He was warm, which had surprised her at first. She figured it must have had something to do with his inner mechanics giving off heat. His smell - <i>God, his smell</i>. It was a combination of cigarettes and something else she couldn't quite put a finger on, but it was intoxicating. Almost like a light cologne.</p><p>She could have sat there holding him forever, but she didn't want to make him feel awkward. She reluctantly let go, and he smiled at her. "I'll take that as a yes, then?"</p><p>She nodded enthusiastically. He placed the fedora on top of her head, and she smiled. "It doesn't make me look like a fink?"</p><p>"Are you sayin' my hat makes me look like a fink?" he asked, hopping off the rail and offering her a hand. She took it, her heart skipping several beats.</p><p>"Well, not just the hat."</p><p>"Watch it, wise guy," he said with a grin. </p><p>That was when a wave hit her, the overwhelming urge to grab his face and kiss him.</p><p>"Let's go see if we can find that Railroad..partner," she said after regaining her composure. Making it official made it feel so good. It was different, somehow. She listened to him pretend to have a conversation with Dogmeat behind her, grinning from ear to ear.</p><p>That day, she knew she had fallen head over heels in love with Nick Valentine.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Strike a match, need a lick and a promise.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You sure about this place?" Nick whispered to his partner. She was fumbling around with her pip-boy, trying to turn on the light mode so they could actually see where they were going.</p><p>With a soft click, a green glow dimly lit their surroundings. It gave everything an eerie, hazy appearance. The creepy factor was turned up to eleven when they surveyed their surroundings. They were in an ancient church. Half of the roof had caved in, the walls were barely held together. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust. Most of the pews were covered in debris, some of them completely cracked in two. It looked as though nobody had been there in years, maybe decades. This actually made Nick more suspicious - it was a little too untouched.</p><p>"We followed the trail, didn't we?" Nora asked in a hushed tone. She was moving her wrist around the room, trying to light up different areas. "This should be the right place."</p><p>"Could be a setup for people trying to find the railroad," Nick pointed out. </p><p>Nora pursed her lips. "Don't be so negative."</p><p>"You lookin' in a mirror?" he teased. He could tell she was trying to hide her smile.</p><p>He was suddenly thankful they'd left Dogmeat outside, in case they were getting collapsed in on. At least they'd get a warning.</p><p><i>Something's not right here. Why did I let her talk me into this?</i> he asked himself.</p><p>Nora yelped, aiming her gun at a figure near the ground before realizing it was a skeleton. She covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to muffle her laughter.</p><p><i>That's why</i>, he thought, chuckling and shaking his head.</p><p>Nick hopped over a large slab of concrete, seeing if he could get through the doorway in the back of the church, but it was completely blocked off. "Dead end," he said over his shoulder to Nora.</p><p>"Damn," she muttered. "Looks like we have to check the basement."</p><p>"What, you afraid of ghosts?"</p><p>She pretended to punch him in the arm, so lightly he didn't even feel it.</p><p>They held their guns out, ready to fire, as they descended the staircase. It somehow got even darker, and the stench was horrendous. It smelled like death. He grimaced.<br/>
"Ugh. Why'd the Institute feel the need to give me a working nose?" </p><p>Once they got to the bottom of the stairs, Nora lit up their surroundings with her pip-boy. They both made sounds of disgust. There were piles of ghoul corpses strewn about on the floor. They appeared to be in some sort of catacomb.<br/>
He could tell Nora was heading for a panic attack. Something about her body language, he thought. He walked in front of her, speaking softly. "Let me know if you want to turn back, Nora."</p><p>He heard a gurgling noise to their left, and the two swung around to see a feral ghoul, shambling and moaning.</p><p>Nick shot first, just barely missing the ghoul's head. Nora managed to shoot it in the chest, but it didn't seem to feel anything. Nick shot again, landing right between the eyes. The ghoul took a few more steps before collapsing.</p><p>The noise attracted another feral, but this one was slower. Nora got it in the head on her first shot.</p><p>"Nice shootin', tex," the detective said. They listened for any signs of more ferals, but the narrow hallways were silent. Nora was trembling.</p><p>"Hey, if you need to..."</p><p>She shook her head. "No, we've got this."</p><p>He was worried, but knew how stubborn she could get, so he kept his mouth shut.</p><p>They followed the path down two more corridors, until they turned a final corner and looked right into a dead end. Nora cursed under her breath.</p><p>"Gotta be something," she murmured. She was running her hands along the wall. </p><p>Nick saw what appeared to be a large, metal plaque welded onto one of the walls. "Hey, look at this. Sure as hell ain't dusty like the rest of the stuff down here."</p><p>Nora hopped over to the plaque, studying it for a moment. She exclaimed. "Oh! Nick, the letters! The ones we saw on the sewage grates - look, there's letters on here." She moved the outer ring on the plaque, and it spun. She went from letter to letter, like she was dialing a rotary phone. Her hands were shaking, and it took her a few tries, but she finally managed to get all of the letters in. R - A - I - L - R - O - A - D.</p><p>There was a sudden rumbling, one Nick could feel in his chest. Tiny bits of crumbled concrete fell from the ceiling, and the wall began shifting and opening. Nora took a step back, almost bumping into the detective. The rumbling stopped, revealing a secret passage of sorts. Nick took a few steps forward. As soon as he entered the passage, bright spotlights were aimed at them, flooding Nick's optics. His vision briefly went white, and once it returned he realized they had walked into a room filled with people pointing rifles at them. "Ah, shit."</p><p>"Stop right there," said the woman standing in the middle of the crowd. Nora had already dropped her rifle to the ground, and Nick let go of his pistol.</p><p>"Who the Hell are you?" she asked. Her face was stern, serious. Looked to be in about her mid-40s.</p><p>Nora was trembling, but her voice was steady. "Hey, we're not here to hurt anyone. My name is Nora, and this is Nick. We followed the Freedom Trail."</p><p>"Oh, did you?" the woman responded. "And you just happened to guess the password to the secret door? Right."</p><p>"Hey, we don't intend to do any harm - look at me. Synth's honor," Nick said. The woman's eyes widened when she heard that - likely expecting a different type of gen 2 synth, one of the automated models.</p><p>"Who told you how to contact us?"</p><p>"I heard a rumor about you in Goodneighbor, that's all."</p><p>The woman chuckled. "Rumor, huh? Well, my name is Desdemona, and I'm the leader of the Railroad. And you --"</p><p>They heard a door open and shut quickly behind her. A man wearing sunglasses ran in. She snapped her head over in his direction. "Deacon, where the hell have you been?"</p><p>"You're having a party, what's with my invitation?" He joked. His face fell as soon as he looked at Nora. "Oh, shit. It's her!"</p><p>"Her who?" Desdemona asked.</p><p>"Dez, you need to keep up!" he said excitedly. "we owe you a case - nah, a truckload - of nuka-cola for what you did to Kellogg. He was our public enemy number one."</p><p>"Kellogg?" Desdemona motioned for her men to lower their weapons. "So, you're vouching for her?"</p><p>"Sure am - trust me, she's someone we need on our side."</p><p>Dez's face softened, and her voice got much less stern. "That changes things. I don't know what, if anything, you've heard out there about us, so let's start with the basics. What do you know about synths?"</p><p>"I - I don't know a whole lot," she admitted, "But I do know that my best friend is a synth. And I want to help people like him."</p><p>Nick tried not to grin like an idiot, and only half-succeeded.</p><p>Desdemona nodded. "So you know - you know they think, they feel, and they act just like you and me. Well, the Institute treats synths as property. As tools." there was controlled anger behind her words.</p><p>"That's...slavery, isn't it?" Nora asked, wringing her hands together. Nick realized he had never really told her that part.</p><p>"Exactly. So we seek to free the synths from their bondage. Give them a chance at a real life." She took a step forward. "I have another question. The only question that matters. Would you risk your life for your fellow man? Even if that man is a synth?"</p><p>"Yes."<br/>
Nora said it so plainly and so honestly, Nick believed her in an instant.</p><p>"That's what we're looking for," Deacon spoke up. "Basic human decency."</p><p>"It is refreshing," Nick said, placing a hand on Nora's shoulder. She looked up at the detective and smiled, weakly. He could still feel her shaking. </p><p>"We're the only ones in the Commonwealth brave enough, or stupid enough, to fight the Institute. And we could use more sisters-in-arms." She sighed. "But right now we don't have time to train up a new agent. There are, however, other valuable ways you can contribute. You can talk to Deacon about the details. And you're free to go, ma'am."</p><p>"Thank you, Desdemona," Nora said.</p><p>The small army turned and walked back the way they came, leaving Deacon standing in the room alone. "Sorry about all that."</p><p>"She was just trying to protect her people," Nora shrugged. "I understand."</p><p>"Guess it's all good now. I vouched for you. Nobody got shot. Still, I would consider it a close personal favor if you didn't sell us out to the Institute."<br/>
Nora and Nick both laughed. "I promise," Nora said, placing her hand over her chest.</p><p>Deacon laughed back. "Good to hear. So. Dez wants me to make you a 'tourist'. That's what we call someone who helps out with the odd job here and there. Kind of a waste, if you ask me."</p><p>Nick offered the man a cigarette, and he took it. "I'm just going to come out and say this: the Railroad needs you."</p><p>"I'm in if Nick's in," Nora nodded. </p><p>"Of course I'm in," Nick said.</p><p>"Well, alright then," Deacon took a drag of his cigarette. "I got a job. Too big for me. Just perfect for the three of us. You help me out, we turn a few heads, and then Dez invites you into the fold."</p><p>"Sounds good."</p><p>Deacon smiled. "Perfecto. We can head to the old freeway outside Lexington. I'll fill you in once we get there. For now, I can show a place where you can rest up."</p><p>The two walked through a narrow passageway into an impressive headquarters. There were rows of terminals, medical stations, whiteboards with routes scribbled on them, and a massive round table in the middle of the room, which Nick suspected was where the Railroad made their more elaborate plans. He could feel eyes on him, and he tried to shake off the self-consciousness -- even in a place dealing with synths, he was turning heads. </p><p>Deacon showed them to a seating area. "Y'all are welcome to stay here for the night, we can head for Lexington in the morning."</p><p>Nick tipped his hat at the man. "Thanks, pal."</p><p>Nora, presumably after having a chance to think, let her anxiety flow. Nick spoke to her softly, and talked her through the breathing exercise she taught him. Her shaking subsided after a few minutes, and she spoke quietly enough to not be overheard. "What do you think of this place?"</p><p>"Looks like they're doing good things here. Though, to be honest...I was hoping maybe I'd see another synth like me. Ridiculous to think, after all these years."</p><p>"It's not ridiculous," she frowned. She was cleaning dust off of her glasses. "I can't imagine how lonely that would feel." </p><p>"Not sure if it's loneliness, exactly. More like...a small bit of me is missing. And not like one of these loose screws."</p><p>She put her glasses back on, and looked up at him. "I used to feel like that, too."</p><p><i>Used to</i>? Before he could ask what she meant, she yawned loudly. He decided to drop the subject so she could rest. She tried to get into a comfortable position, and settled on leaning towards the arm rest with her knees up to her chest.</p><p>Nick took to watching the few members of the Railroad who were still awake as they went about their routines. He heard Nora's breathing even out, followed by very soft snoring.<br/>
<i>Hopefully Dogmeat found a place to hunker down for the night</i>, he wondered idly. </p><p>By that point, he was used to waiting as Nora slept. He didn't mind - it was a biological need, obviously. He wasn't really someone who got bored. There was always something to look at, diagnostics to run, novels to read, case notes to go through.</p><p>He felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked to his left to see Nora had shifted in her sleep, and was now leaning on him. He froze at first - much like being hugged, this was new to him and he wasn't sure what to do. The synth sat completely still at first, but slowly relaxed once he heard her snore.</p><p><i>This isn't so bad</i>, he mused. <i>She sure doesn't weigh much. And - wow, she smells good. That's a rarity out here...maybe she scavenged some herbs or found some prewar perfume.</i></p><p>Her fedora was slowly falling off of her head, and he gently adjusted it. She hadn't taken it off since he gave it to her.</p><p>
  <i>I made the right decision.</i>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Take me back to the time - I was yours, you were mine.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nora lowered her rifle. About a dozen Institute synths lay broken at the feet of Deacon, Nick, Dogmeat, and herself.</p><p>"Is that all of them?" </p><p>The group stood still, listening for signs of anything else that might have wanted to kill them - but there was nothing. Nora laughed from relief, more of a gut reaction than anything else. </p><p>Their attempt to recover a prototype from the Railroad's old headquarters hadn't been easy. There were more synths than Nora had ever seen, and enough tripmines to blow off her legs ten times over - but they got it. The prototype was theirs. She tried to wipe the dirt from her face, grinning at her partner.</p><p>Deacon put a hand on either of their shoulders, nodding in approval. "Well, folks, we got what we came for. Let's split up and meet back at the catacombs."</p><p>"Will this be enough to let Nora join?" Nick asked.</p><p>"Eh, probably," he shrugged. "I can put in a good word. Desdemona's got a soft spot for you two, though. Don't tell her I said that."</p><p>"We make a good team," Nora said.</p><p>"The best. I've got a couple errands to run, so you hold onto that prototype. I'll see you back at HQ, sound good?"</p><p>And with that, he was off.</p><p> </p><p>"Deacon's an interesting character," Nick remarked. They had holed up in a nearby building, watching the sun set as the detective made a fire in an old metal barrel. The coastal breeze continued making its way through the Commonwealth, lowering the temperature significantly. "You think he really doesn't know what that doohickey does?"</p><p>"I have no idea," Nora admitted. She was searching for a metal grate to place atop the fire - she could cook a can of pork and beans that way.</p><p>She found a suitable piece, and lay on her bedroll, waiting for her food to cook. The only real sounds were the crackling of fire and plants gently swaying in the breeze. She craned her neck to look over at the synth. He'd been especially quiet that evening.</p><p>"Say, partner," he said. It sounded deliberate, slow. "I...think I owe you an apology."</p><p>"For what?" Nora flipped around onto her stomach.</p><p>"We've been traveling together for, what, a month? And, ah, I've been a little...cagey. I figured there hasn't exactly been equitable distribution of information."</p><p>"I knew you'd tell me when you were ready," Nora said. She was obviously curious. Whenever she tried to pry into his past, he'd avoid it or change the subject. </p><p>"I've gotten a decent glimpse into your dirty laundry, but you still don't really know a whole heck of a lot about me," he cleared his throat. "I figured I'd offer to balance the board. So, there anything you want to know?"</p><p>In truth, she wanted to know everything. His past, what he felt about her, if synths were capable of romantic intent -- but she couldn't ask that. Not with her dignity intact. She opened her can of slightly-burnt food, chewing it slowly as she thought of what to ask.</p><p>"I guess I'll be broad - who are you, Nick?"</p><p>The corners of his lips turned up slightly. "That's a question I've been trying to figure out myself for a long damn time. I know I'm a synth, authentic Institute handiwork - but I'm still mechanical, obviously. Those gen 3s giving everyone the willies are bioengineered."</p><p>He threw a newspaper into the fire, stoking it with a stick. Nora didn't say anything, she felt as though he had more.</p><p>"This isn't something I tell a whole lot of people. But my memories, my personality...they're all lifted from some cop who volunteered for an experiment back before the war."</p><p>Nora balked at that. "I thought - I thought the Institute engineered your personality, somehow."</p><p>"Nope. They scanned his brain and copied it onto the hardware that runs between my ears. Don't know why they picked some pre-war cop." He was looking at his feet, almost somber. "Maybe that's why they threw me in the trash instead of turning me into one of their people-snatchers."</p><p>"They just threw you away?" Nora scooted closer to where he was sitting. He didn't react.</p><p>"Sure did. Was quite the rude awakening." he made eye contact with her briefly before looking back at the burning embers. "I remember waking up one day in a garbage heap, a body in tatters and a head full of memories belonging to a man who'd been dead for 200 years."</p><p>That just about broke her heart. She wasn't sure what to say. She gingerly put a hand on his upper back. She didn't know if he could even feel it, but he didn't recoil at her gesture, so she kept her hand there, rubbing gently. "I'm so sorry, Nick. I can't say I relate to the dead man part, but..."</p><p>He smiled. "We're both from a different world, huh?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>It was silent for some time. They watched the flames dance in their makeshift firepit, as the last rays of the sun fell behind the horizon. They could hear far-off crickets, and the occasional moo of a brahmin. Dogmeat had long fallen asleep, he was splayed out on the floor and snoring. Nora reluctantly took her hand off of Nick's back - she didn't want to make it awkward.</p><p>"I think his name was Jim. The first person to actually speak to me after I got the boot from the Institute. My first human contact in this world." At that point, he almost seemed to be speaking to himself rather than Nora.</p><p>"He grilled me for an hour. Once they'd seen I wasn't going to hurt anyone, the other folks in the neighborhood came out to ogle the mechanical man," he was smiling, but there was a twinge of sadness behind it. "Those people, they treated me like a human being. I've been trying to return the favor ever since."</p><p>"It's a surprisingly rare trait out here," he added. "Something I've noticed you got a fondness for." He put a hand on the top of her head, adjusting her hat slightly. It was a friendly gesture, but it felt like electricity in Nora's veins. She felt her heart beating far too quickly. "Y'know, what you said back at the Railroad - it was damn decent of you."</p><p>"I don't think anyone needs praise for saying slavery is wrong," she said, pulling up her knees to her chest. "That's, like - the bare minimum."</p><p>"Fair enough, but it's not the most popular opinion to have out here." He lay back until he was completely flat, and sighed. "Well, I expect you're about as bored as can be listening to me rattle my skeletons."</p><p>She shook her head. "You'd never bore me, Valentine."</p><p>He chuckled. "Ain't you the first."</p><p>She desperately wanted to know every memory he had, but that much prying felt like overkill. She didn't want to overload him while he was telling her what sounded like extremely personal information.<br/>
"Thanks for telling me all this. I appreciate it."</p><p>She would have loved to lay next to him, to fall asleep in his arms. The idea made her feel a lot of ways, most of which she'd be embarrassed to say out loud. </p><p>"Say, Nick..."</p><p>"What's the story, morning glory?"</p><p>"I haven't told you something - I wasn't sure how to bring it up, but since you shared so much with me...it didn't feel right to keep it under wraps."</p><p>He sat back up. "You aren't a serial killer or somethin', are you?"</p><p>She snorted. "No. It's about...Nate, actually."</p><p>"Your husband?"</p><p>"Yeah, my husband... it's hard to explain, but..." she sighed. "We were never in love. Neither of us. And we both knew it."</p><p>"You married someone you didn't love?" Nick furrowed his brow.</p><p>"Don't get me wrong - I <i>did</i> love him. He was my best friend, we spent every moment together for ten years. But we weren't IN love. We knew we'd make great parents, so...we had Shaun. And we were both fine with living our lives that way," she shrugged. "I know this is a bizarre thing to drop on your lap, but..."</p><p><i>But I'm in love with you</i>, she wanted to say.</p><p>"But it didn't feel right, you thinking I watched the love of my life die." she felt herself tearing up. "It felt like living a lie."</p><p>"Hey," he said, hesitantly placing a hand on her knee, which was still pressed up to her abdomen. "You aren't living a lie. I'm not going to pretend I completely understand your relationship, but you still lost your best friend. That ain't a walk in the park either."</p><p>Nora didn't respond. She couldn't. </p><p>"Thanks for telling me, partner." he said as he took his hand away. "I'm sure that wasn't easy."</p><p>She laid down, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "Same here, Valentine."</p><p>She managed to sneak a glance at the detective. He was sitting with one leg on the ground and one leg up, elbow on his knee. He took a drag of his cigarette, his eyes fixated on the fire. The orange glow gave him an almost ethereal look. His position hiked up one pant leg slightly, and she could see hints of his grey flesh poking out. It made her think of repairing his arm, seeing his body.</p><p>
  <i>Those legs...Jesus, when did he get so sexy? Was he like this the whole time, and I never noticed? Might be time for some new glasses, Nora.</i>
</p><p>He stirred slightly, and Nora closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. </p><p>She had hoped for her attraction to fade, but it only seemed to be getting worse. Nobody else had ever made her feel this way - not just since she'd woken up in a brave new world, but in her entire life.</p><p>
  <i>Of course I'd fall madly in love...with a man made of metal.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>"Nora?"</p><p>She woke with a start to the sound of Nick's voice. She mumbled something incoherently, trying to get a grasp on where she was. </p><p>"Sorry to wake you, I - you, uh, said my name. Must have been in your sleep."</p><p>That woke her right up. "Oh! Was I?" she laughed awkwardly, a little too loud and eager to sound natural. "That's wacky, huh? Must have had a nightmare!"</p><p>In truth, she'd dreamed about him a handful of times.<br/>
<i>Hell if I'm telling him about those. I'd rather eat a bucket of scorpions than try and explain THOSE to him</i>, she thought.</p><p>"Ah, another one of your nightmares. Usually you say Shaun's name...sorry to wake you, kid." </p><p>She looked up at his glowing irises, and felt instantly calmer. "Not a problem, Valentine. Thanks for looking out for me."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My old laptop died so I had to rewrite this chapter from scratch, but I've got a new laptop now so we're all good.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Big wind blowin' all around. Each small bullet makes a sound.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Back so soon?"</p><p>Desdemona looked suspicious as Nick and Nora arrived back at the Railroad's front door. Nick watched as his partner carefully grabbed the prototype from her pocket and placed it in Desdemona's hands.</p><p>"Well, I'll be damned, you did get it," she said, eyebrows shooting up. "Deacon told me you single-handedly secured this thing, disabled a minefield, and wiped out a hundred Gen 1s."</p><p>Nora laughed, and Nick couldn't hold back a smile. Desdemona's mouth threatened to turn up as well. "Any of that true?"</p><p>Nora was still giggly. "Well, sort of...but there wasn't 100 of them, and Valentine was with me and Deacon the whole way. Couldn't have done it without them."</p><p>"Don't sell yourself short," Nick said. "You're already small enough as it is."</p><p>She glared at him, but he knew by now what she looked like when she was trying not to laugh. Her eyes gave it away. He sometimes had trouble reading human expressions, but at that point he knew Nora's like the back of his hand.</p><p>"She would've fallen for it, you know," a voice called out from behind Dez. Deacon wiggled his way through the crack in the door. He had clearly been eavesdropping.</p><p>"Don't flatter yourself," Desdemona said flatly before turning to look at the vault dweller. "Still, I was expecting Deacon to grab a full team, including Glory, to secure that prototype. But instead, you three cleared out the entire Switchboard."</p><p>"You'd be insane not to sign her up, Dez," Deacon said. </p><p>Desdemona looked at the floor, contemplating. "You've certainly made an impression on Deacon. He's never spoken about, or lied about, anyone so highly before..." she seemed to take a moment to consider.<br/>
"All right. Welcome aboard the Railroad, agents."</p><p>Nora beamed. She grabbed Nick's arm and shook it slightly. Learning to be more physical was a struggle, but he knew he could trust her.</p><p>"So you're in. Now we need to know what to call you. Secrecy keeps us alive. Code names are a part of that. So what's yours?"</p><p>Nora looked over at Nick. "What do you think?"</p><p>"Don't look at me, this is your decision."</p><p>She pursed her lips. "What if my decision is to make you pick?"</p><p>Dez seemed mildly amused with their banter. She stood with her arms crossed, making brief eye contact with Deacon.</p><p>"What about...charmer?" Nick joked. He wasn't expecting Nora to get quiet at his suggestion. He'd meant it as something lighthearted, after how quick she was to leave a good impression. He noticed her flush slightly, but she nodded.</p><p>"Charmer...charmer it is, then," she broke eye contact with the detective. Desdemona shook both of their hands.</p><p>"It's time to meet the rest of the gang," Dez said, gesturing them to follow her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"So, this is where the drop is?" Nora asked in a hushed tone. They had just entered Bunker Hill, a small settlement mostly inhabited by caravan workers and traders. "I expected somewhere less...populated."</p><p>"Most people just pass through here for supplies," Nick said. "Actually might be a good locale, not a lot of people paying attention and plenty of strange characters comin' through."</p><p>"I think that might be him," Nora pointed to a nondescript vendor. He was older, dressed nicely. Matched the description. They walked over to his stall. Nora was very bad at acting subtle, much to Nick's amusement.</p><p>"Welcome, my friend. Might I ask, do you have a Geiger counter?" The man behind the counter asked.</p><p>In truth, Nick found the code phrases a little silly. He understood the necessity, but couldn't help feeling like he was in a bad film.</p><p>Nora cleared her throat. "Mine is in the shop," she said.</p><p>The old man looked carefully at the two standing before him. Nick felt like a sideshow attraction whenever someone did that.</p><p>"...You? Hm, I was expecting someone more...dangerous."</p><p>Nick and Nora made eye contact, both scowling. True, Nora was tiny and babyfaced, not the most intimidating person in the world - but saying it out loud was rather rude.</p><p>"Name's Stockton. I assume you're with our mutual friends?" The old man asked further.</p><p>"Indeed we are," Nora said flatly. She was probably still irritated at his quip. </p><p>Stockton looked from side to side, making sure nobody was within earshot. "You've just joined, haven't you? All you need to know is this is the first stop for all our new... packages," he cleared his throat again. "My current package has been in my possession far too long."</p><p>Nora nodded.</p><p>"I'm supposed to deliver the...package to someplace nearby. But raiders have complicated matters. So..."</p><p>"We'll take care of it," Nora said.</p><p>"We're supposed to make the delivery at night. So once you clear out the undesirables, we'll meet after the sun sets."</p><p>And with that, they were on their way.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you ever get sick of people ignoring you?" Nora asked as they set down a deserted city street.</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"I just...when people talk to us, they talk to me. They act like you're not even there."</p><p>"They probably think I'm automated. I look like one of those walking toasters," Nick said, gesturing to what looked like a recently-used campsite. "Our raiders are probably nearby."</p><p>"But they hear you talk, and they still act like you're my...servant, or something. It's gross."</p><p>Nora held out a hand, making the detective stop in his tracks. Sure enough, they heard voices coming from inside a half-destroyed church. She readied her sniper rifle, and Nick took the moment to whisper, "Try not to let it bother you, kid. They don't mean any harm."</p><p>She aimed down sights, taking deep breaths to steady herself. She hit a perfect shot, getting one of the raiders right in the back of the skull. There was a commotion, and Nick took advantage of the chaos and screaming to down another raider. </p><p>"What, you're not bothered when people are rude to me?" she asked, smirking. She tossed a frag grenade through the window, ducking behind a bench as the explosion went off. </p><p>Nick heard a bullet fly by his head, and he flinched. "That's...not the same, Nora," he replied. He stood up out of cover and managed to hit yet another raider under his ribcage.</p><p>"Of course it is," she replied. There appeared to be two raiders left, and they were both headed for their location. Nora aimed for the taller of the two, but she missed. Nick hit him in the stomach, and he went down.</p><p>The last raider held his hands up, dropping his pistol. "I give, I give!"</p><p>Nick nodded. "Go on, get. We'd better not see you again."</p><p> </p><p>"How is it different?" Nora asked, leading the way to the church. </p><p>"It just - look, you're a person, I'm - "</p><p>"You're also a person."</p><p>He scowled. He wasn't sure how to argue it with her, or if he should even bother. He just knew she was more important to him.</p><p><i>She's too stubborn for her own good</i>, he thought.</p><p>He didn't respond, and she seemed to drop the subject.</p><p>Nora sat down on one of the intact pews, fanning herself with her hand. The recent cloud cover had increased the humidity dramatically.</p><p>"Do you mind waiting here 'til sundown?" She asked up at him.</p><p>"Not like I have anything better to do," he quipped, taking a seat next to her. It was close to sundown, anyhow.</p><p>"I hate this weather," she grumbled. Her hair was already up. Nick took a moment to survey their surroundings, making sure there weren't any remaining raiders.</p><p>When he turned to talk to his partner, she had unzipped the top half of her vault suit and tied it around her waist. She was lying on the pew with her knees up, and the position hiked up her undershirt. </p><p>From Nick's view, he was looking at a fit, sweaty woman with half a shirt on, lying next to him.</p><p>The detective was embarrassed, but he wasn't quite sure why. The situation was unambiguously nonsexual, but the imagery stirred up a bizarre familiarity in the back of his memory bank.</p><p>Regardless, the gentlemanly thing to do was to just look away, and that's what Nick did. The strange feeling left as soon as it appeared, and he was fine with running some routine maintenance he had slacked on lately.</p><p>Not long after his diagnostics finished, he heard footsteps approaching. He tapped Nora on the knee, and she awoke with a start. "Wuzzat?" she mumbled.</p><p>"I believe our uh, 'package' is on their way," Nick said.</p><p>Sure enough, a twitchy Stockton and another man were walking hurriedly towards the church. The other man looked to be in his 30s, short beard, disheveled hair.</p><p>Stockton was wringing his hands. "Everything looks clear..." he gestured towards the stranger. "This is H2-22." </p><p>The gen 3 synth gave an awkward smile. Nora's eyes widened. She had probably never knowingly interacted with a gen 3 before - it was a little jarring how human they were.<br/>
"H2, here's the person I talked to you about," Stockton said, looking directly at Nora.</p><p>"Hey, H2. Nice to meet you," Nora said. She held out her hand, and H2 hesitantly shook it.</p><p>"Another person actually happy to meet me. This'll take some getting used to," he said. His speech was a little off. Stilted, with the emphasis on the wrong words. That would fade with time.</p><p>"Remember what I told you, H2," the old man said. He sounded nervous, almost irritated. "I'll fire up the signal." He walked towards one of the blown-out windows, grabbing a gas lamp and attempting to light it.</p><p>H2 was looking at Nick with wide eyes. Nick smiled at the man. "We're gonna get you out of here, pal."</p><p>"From what I've been told it's probably safer if I don't say anything. I don't want to put you in any more danger..." H2 said. He rubbed the back of his neck.</p><p>"It's okay if you don't want to talk," Nora said. "We don't want to make you uncomfortable."</p><p>"You guys are all... well, no one's ever stuck their neck out for me," H2 said. He sounded like everything happening to him was almost too much to process. "I wanted to thank you. This world is... overwhelming. But people like you make me feel better about coming here."</p><p>Nora looked like she was about to cry. "H2, never forget that there are people who care about you - about all synths."</p><p>Nick was never not surprised by his partner's compassion. He really admired that about her.</p><p>"And done," Stockton said from the other side of the room. "Time for me to go. Keep H2 safe. Someone will be here shortly."</p><p>He nodded at Nora. "A pleasure doing business with you. I will recommend your services to others."</p><p>Nick figured if they were waiting around, he might as well smoke a cigarette. H2 was still eyeing him, and it was making him self-conscious.</p><p>Nora still had her vault suit unzipped. Nick noted that she had gotten noticeably more muscle tone in her arms and stomach than when they had first met. </p><p><i>Traveling for so long must be good exercise</i>, he thought.</p><p>The group heard quick footsteps approaching. Nora grabbed her rifle.</p><p>"Don't shoot," a voice called out. A different man stepped into the church, hands up at his sides. "Charmer, right?"</p><p>Nora held back a laugh. "Yup, that's me. And this is my partner...Rascal."</p><p>"Funny stuff," Nick muttered.</p><p>He shook both of their hands. "Name's High Rise," he said. He looked over at H2, who was sitting and watching anxiously. "Hey, you okay?"</p><p>"A little rattled. But I've never been better," H2 smiled. "The other man... He said I shouldn't talk too much."</p><p>"He told you right, H2. You'll need a real name, and a new face, but we'll get to that - there are more of them raiders behind me. I'm afraid we're gonna need a little more help."</p><p>Nora lifted up her rifle. "More raiders? No problem," she locked eyes with Nick. "Rascal and I can take those losers down with our eyes closed."</p><p>
  <i>I'm gonna get her for that nickname.</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this chapter was really dialogue-heavy, my apologies!! I have so many plans for the rest of this fic but I have to keep doing exposition, which requires some ingame dialogue. Trust me, we're getting to the good stuff soon! Thanks for 500 views!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>But if I die, don't you cry. Because Kansas remembers me now.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"We're getting close," Nick said to Nora as they walked the long path to the Glowing Sea. The Railroad was kind enough to give Nora one of their few remaining hazmat suits, so she jumped at the opportunity.</p><p>Nick had switched to an even older outfit of his - one of the pant legs was completely ripped, half the buttons weren't even sewn on anymore. That way he could toss the irradiated clothing, instead of risking exposing someone to it.</p><p>"You should probably get into that suit soon," he told her.</p><p>"Ugh, probably...I just know I'm gonna get sweaty and gross," she frowned. She started to unzip her vault suit, and Nick quickly turned around to give her some privacy.</p><p>She was torn between being embarrassed about taking off her clothes right next to him, and wanting him to watch. That thought alone made her cheeks burn. She removed her undershirt as well, until she was only in her sports bra and faded old panties. </p><p>She stepped into the hazmat suit, immediately disliking the uncomfortable, plastic-y feeling. She zipped herself in and it muffled her hearing. The suit was too large, and the size difference impeded her vision by a considerable amount.</p><p>She tossed her clothing and her bag in a car, which she marked so she could find later. She couldn't risk irradiating her belongings. </p><p>Nick hadn't moved an inch the whole time.</p><p><em>I'm glad he's a gentleman, but...God, Nora, get your mind out of the gutter</em>, she lectured herself.</p><p>"It's uh - you can turn around now," she had to speak slightly louder than usual.</p><p>Nick smirked. "Lookin' good, partner."</p><p>Nora was glad he wouldn't be able to see her face redden. "Guess I'll never know - I can't really see out of this thing."</p><p>The duo set off towards the crater, the middle of the glowing sea. As if the universe wanted to emphasize how uncomfortable she was, she didn't see a foot-tall boulder underfoot, and she tripped.</p><p>Nick helped her up. "You really can't see in that thing, eh?"</p><p>"No - ugh, this was a mistake, we should just go."</p><p>"Here, I'll help you," Nick said. To Nora's shock, he took her hand, guiding her behind him.</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit. He's holding my hand?</em>
</p><p>Of course, her hand was covered in half-inch-thick gloves. But her heart hadn't seemed to get the memo, and was threatening to burst out of her chest. </p><p>Nora had to remind herself that he wasn't trying to be romantic, he was just helping her avoid another fall, or ripping her suit on a sharp wire.</p><p>After a few minutes of traveling, her Geiger counter began to click. </p><p>"We're in the home stretch now," Nick said. "You sure you're all zipped up?"</p><p>"I'm good to go," Nora said, though internally she was screaming.</p><p>As her counter began to crackle loudly, warning her of the incoming radiation, their surroundings began to change. Plant life became scarcer, until it wasn't growing at all. The sky was full of clouds, the very air around them turning a sickly yellow-green. There were no more birds or small rodents. Everything was deathly silent.</p><p>The detective helped guide Nora up a steep hill. When she got on her feet, she saw the crater. Immediately, memories of that day flooded her mind. Images of her neighbors screaming. Seeing the explosion, feeling the sickening thud as an atomic bomb made contact with soil. Everything she knew as home being decimated in a matter of seconds.</p><p>Her legs shook, until she began to collapse. Nick caught her, asking her if she was okay. All she could do was hyperventilate.</p><p>"Hey - we can turn around, I'll carry you on my back and -"</p><p>"No," she managed to say. "I just - need a minute."</p><p>"What's wrong? Talk to me, kid. I'm here."</p><p>She grabbed onto him, burying her face - well, mask - into his chest and breathing in slowly. "I didn't think I'd remember it all...so clearly," she choked out.</p><p>"Remember...?" Nick started, before it seemed to hit him. "Oh, jesus. Nora, you...saw the bombs fall?"</p><p>"When we were lowered down into the vault," she said. She tried to take control of her breathing. Tried to ground herself. </p><p><em>I'm with Nick, I'm safe, I'm with Nick, I'm safe</em>, she repeated.</p><p>"Nora," he said softly, "Why didn't you tell me? I would have gone to find Virgil on my own, I don't want you to go through this."</p><p>"No, this is something I need to do."</p><p>She finally looked up at him, and though her vision was obscured, she could still see his glowing eyes.</p><p>"...Alright, then, partner. I believe in you," he said.</p><p>She would have killed to be able to kiss him at that moment.</p><p>She stood up. Her legs still felt like jelly, but she was able to push through it. Her grounding techniques made the flashes less frequent. She focused on the sensation of Nick's hand wrapped tightly around hers.</p><p>They were quiet. Nick would occasionally check in on her, see if she needed a break. She couldn't even articulate how much he meant to her in that moment. He was so sweet, so caring and patient. </p><p>
  <em>How could a woman not fall for him?</em>
</p><p>Nora wasn't sure how much time had passed. It felt like an eternity and the blink of an eye at the same time. It was just them, hands clasped, until they stumbled upon something truly bizarre.</p><p>It was a settlement - in the middle of the most irradiated, uninhabitable area of the Commonwealth. Strange symbols were painted on unstable lean-tos. Nora adjusted her helmet so she could see slightly better - everything was still cloudy, but she saw what looked like a human woman moving towards them.</p><p>"Stop right there, stranger," the woman said, holding a hand out. Nick and Nora both stopped walking, and put their hands up to show they were unarmed. "You approach Atom's holy ground. Why? State your purpose, or be divided in his sight."</p><p><em>Atom?</em> Nora thought, puzzled. She decided she'd ask around about it later, but went along with it for the time being.</p><p>Nora cleared her throat. "Um - hello, ma'am. My name is Nora, and this is Nick. We aren't here to cause any trouble, I promise."</p><p>The woman eyed them suspiciously. "Few make the effort to travel so far..." she looked the two up and down. "Very well, you may stay for now. But know that we are watching. Violence will not be tolerated."</p><p>"We don't want to hurt anyone," Nick assured her.</p><p>"I'm just looking for someone - his name is Virgil. Have you seen him?" Nora asked carefully, making sure to keep her hands at her sides.</p><p>"Yes, I know of him...what do you want with him?"</p><p>Nora felt relief wash over her. The trip hadn't been for nothing. She figured she might as well tell her the truth - lying wouldn't get her anywhere. "We need his help finding a place called the Institute."</p><p>"I have heard of this Institute. They hide themselves, trying to avoid the power of Atom..." the woman went on and on about her Atom business. The more she talked about it, the more Nora was convinced it was some manner of cult. After a little more rambling, the woman got to the point. </p><p>"You can find him southwest of the crater, living in a cave. I would approach cautiously, were I you. I feel he does not want visitors."</p><p>"Thank you very much, ma'am. We'll get out of your hair," Nick said.</p><p>"Yes, thank you," Nora said gratefully. "May, um, Atom bless you?"</p><p>"You are welcome, my child," the woman said with a slight bow.</p><p>"Any idea what that was about?" Nora asked when they were out of earshot. </p><p>"Not sure I even <em>want</em> to know," the synth responded.</p><p>Nick grabbed hold of her hand again, and Nora felt her heart flutter. If it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't see, that there was an eternal radiation storm going on around them, and that the pair had to constantly sneak past herds of gigantic mutated scorpions, she would have stayed there forever.</p><p>She didn't know how long it took them, but at some point they found the mouth of a cave that fit the woman's description.</p><p>"Hello? Virgil?" Nora called out. She didn't want him to think they were trying to sneak up on him.</p><p>There wasn't any reply. She tried again, and all they could hear was her voice bouncing off the walls.</p><p>Nick cautiously moved forward, squeezing her hand assuredly. There were cans hanging from the ceiling, likely so anyone trying to sneak in would be heard. They took a few turns, and after turning a final corner, they were face-to-face with a supermutant - one with a gun. </p><p>"Hold it! Take it nice and slow, no sudden moves..." he said, voice deep and rough. Nora had seen supermutants before, but she hadn't heard one who spoke so articulately.</p><p>"Hey, pal, take it easy," Nick said. For the second time that day, they both had their hands up. "We don't have any weapons."</p><p>The supermutant squinted, sizing the two up. "I know you're from the Institute, so where's Kellogg? Huh? Trying to sneak up on me while you distract me? It's not going to work," he growled.</p><p>"Kellogg is dead," Nora said, moving in front of Nick. "We aren't from the Institute."</p><p>"Dead...? I'm not stupid, don't lie to me."</p><p>"I'm not lying," Nora said. "If we were with the Institute, why would we be unarmed?"</p><p>The supermutant lowered his gun slightly, but still looked skeptical.</p><p>"You're Virgil, right? I know Kellogg is dead. I killed him myself." Nora said.</p><p>"Did you...hmm," he mumbled. "Kellogg was ruthless... There's a reason the Institute used him to do their dirty work for so many years." </p><p>Virgil lowered his gun fully. "If he's dead, and you're not here to kill me, what do you want?"</p><p>"We need your help."</p><p>"My help? With what? How did you even find me, anyway?" Virgil seemed extremely antsy. Nora had to tread carefully.</p><p>"I'm going to the Institute, and I need you to help me."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm in peak hyperfixation mode, expect a lot of updates from me while I'm riding it out!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>She keeps me dry, oh, big sky.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Content warning: this chapter contains brief, non-detailed mentions of needles, as well as vomit.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nick could practically feel how nervous Nora was, as he helped lead them out of the glowing sea. They finally had a lead - find a courser, get his chip. Somehow, that was the key to getting in.</p><p>Virgil had explained a whole lot of technicals, about coordinates and chips and teleportation. He barely understood it all, but he knew they had a chance. </p><p>Nick's Geiger counter slowly went down, the air got less heavy, and sparse areas of vegetation began popping up through the dried soil. </p><p>"Almost out of here, partner," Nick said. Nora hummed in appreciation.</p><p>"Thank you for helping me. I couldn't do this without you," she said. Her voice was muffled and quiet, but he could tell she had a heavy bundle of emotions weighing on her. </p><p>Nick smiled. "I told you, kid, I'm helping you out 'til we get Shaun back. And then...then, we can get back to the city, help <em>other</em> people reunite with their families."</p><p>"It'll be great, Valentine."</p><p>"As long as we don't have to come back to this place."</p><p>Nora laughed from behind her mask. "I concur."</p><p>The air had cleared up. The two were close to the car where they'd left their essentials. Nora removed her helmet, she was flush and covered in sweat. Her hair was even messier than usual. She took a deep breath, probably relishing in the fresh air.</p><p>Nick realized he was still holding her hand, and quickly let go. It was a little awkward at first, at least for him, but he had known it was the easiest way to get them both safely to Virgil.</p><p>And sure, maybe he was a <em>little</em> touch-starved. Just a little.</p><p>"How are you feeling?" he asked as he turned around to let her get changed.</p><p>"Anxious," she said. "Killing an Institute Courser doesn't sound like a fun time."</p><p>"I meant physically."</p><p>"Oh," she laughed. "I feel fine. Sweaty and gross, but fine."</p><p>"If it's any consolation, you still smell better than most folks around here," Nick said.</p><p>"The bar is too low."</p><p>The synth heard her zip up her vault suit. "Alright, partner. Your turn." he saw her toss the suit aside. The thing was likely soaked in radiation, so bringing it with them would only be dangerous.</p><p>Nick unbuttoned his shirt, throwing it in a pile along with Nora's suit. He didn't technically need to wear clothing - most gen 2s didn't - but walking around "naked" just felt awkward for him. </p><p>Nora held out his new clothes, head turned so she wasn't looking. He wanted to laugh - most humans didn't bother giving synths any kind of privacy.</p><p>Once they were both dressed, and Nora grabbed her bags, they set off to the location Virgil had mentioned - the ruins of the old C.I.T. location.</p><p>The trip would easily take days, so as the sky turned pink and the sun started to slip down under the horizon, the pair settled in a crumbling, abandoned motel room that still had some of its furniture. Nora mapped out a route for them, one where they could stop and visit a few friends along the way.</p><p>"I hope Dogmeat is doing alright," Nora said as she drank her third bottle of purified water that day.</p><p>"Oh, he'll be fine. The people at the Railroad love him, he's probably getting spoiled rotten." Nick was messing with the pip-boy again. He tuned the radio to the faintest signal he could find, one that was playing some classic bluegrass.</p><p>"You're probably right. Plus, he didn't have to slog through three miles of radiation."</p><p>"Speaking of..." Nick said. "We should probably give you that RadAway now."</p><p>Nora grumbled. "Ugh. I hate that stuff. It fucks my stomach up."</p><p>"Better than radiation poisoning."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," Nora said. She unzipped her vault suit so her arms were exposed. "Can you...?"</p><p>Nick had a little experience using the IV bags on an old partner, so he was fairly confident he could do it. "Not a problem."</p><p>She slapped the inside of her elbow, holding out her arm towards her friend. "Alright, gimme the good stuff, doc." </p><p>Nick rolled his eyes. He poured some alcohol over her arm in an attempt to sterilize it. He carefully took the casing off of the syringe. "Okay, Nora. Take a deep breath...one, two, three, and..."</p><p>He slid the needle in without much trouble. Nora hissed through her teeth. He looked up at her. She was even paler than usual. </p><p>"We're good, kid," he said. He attempted to fluff out one of the pillows left on the hotel bed, but didn't have much luck. Nora lay down, still keeping an arm on the bedside table. The synth sat at the foot of the bed, watching his partner crane her neck away from where the IV was inserted.</p><p>He decided to make conversation, maybe distract her from the pain and nausea that came with humans using RadAway.</p><p>"Say, you're still good with joining up at the agency after all this, right?"</p><p>"What?" her brows furrowed. "Of course I am, why would I change my mind?"</p><p>He sighed. "It's...I know it can just be a lot, being my partner. I've had a handful of 'em. Couple couldn't handle all the violence. One disappeared, never showed up again...and one, well, he couldn't handle the judgement."</p><p>"Judgement?"</p><p>"See, we've only been to the bigger settlements out here, but...when you're on a case, with a synth...people don't quite treat you the same. Especially in the more rural areas. I've heard some nasty stuff."</p><p>She frowned. "Nick...I'm not going to reject a partnership with my best friend just because some people have their heads up their asses. You know me better than that."</p><p>He tried and failed to suppress a grin. "I was just double-checking. You know...Diamond City has a school, a pretty decent one at that."</p><p>Nora's eyes lit up. "I could rent a place up there. Once he's old enough, I can send Shaun to school in the mornings and head to work with you..." she laughed. "It all sounds so mundane, but I think that's what I'm gonna need after all this."</p><p>"It's a pretty damn good plan. But being a detective, I don't think you'll ever get bored."</p><p>He fidgeted. There was something Nick needed to talk about with her, something he'd been thinking about for a long time - but the timing never seemed right. As he was considering asking her about it, she got unnaturally quiet, and her smile faded.</p><p>"Ugh, I'm getting nauseous from this stuff."</p><p>"I know. It's no picnic. Do you need anything? Some water?"</p><p>"I might need a bucket," she groaned.</p><p> </p><p>Apparently, she was right. Not too soon after their conversation, Nora was praying to the porcelain God. Nick held her hair as she did so, and she kept insisting he should leave. </p><p>"This is disgusting, I don't want you seeing me like this," she had said.</p><p>But things like that didn't bother Nick. He had the original detective's memories, he knew that these things were part of the package deal of...well, being a human. He just wanted her to feel better, be her normal self, flaws and all.</p><p>As the last of the RadAway was gone from the IV bag, and as the color in Nora's face returned, she was able to tell stories and laugh, be herself again. And that person - his best friend - was the one he'd rather be with more than anyone else in the damned Commonwealth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>And I know everything must die. But nothing fades like the light.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nora noticed her partner had been especially quiet as they set off for the old C.I.T. building. After the third time she asked if he was okay, he started to get irritated, so she dropped it.</p><p>Nora's brain, of course, was busy leaping to a dozen different explanations at once. <em>Did he find out I have feelings for him, and he's disgusted by me? Did I say something to upset him? Is something wrong with his hardware?</em></p><p>She checked her map to assure they were going in the right direction. The route she had mapped out was in a sideways L shape - that way, they could visit Diamond City and Goodneighbor on the way to the ruins. It would add about a day of travel, but they could use a safe place to sleep.</p><p>Nora took a break once they hit the river. She sat herself down on an old log, re-lacing her boots. She wasn't sure what to talk about. Nick still hadn't said much to her. </p><p>As she was contemplating asking him again, he spoke.</p><p>"Can I, uh, talk to you?"</p><p>He sat down next to her, avoiding eye contact. He was adjusting the brim of his hat - definitely a sign of nervousness.</p><p>"Did I do something wrong?"</p><p>"What? No, no. I just - it's hard to talk about."</p><p>She turned to face them, her knees touching his. She gave him an assuring smile, though her stomach felt like it was leaping into her throat.</p><p>"So...you know about the original Nick Valentine. Pre-war cop, donated his brain. Well, for as long as I can remember, I've had these...flashes. Memories of places I've never been. Things I've never seen. Memories of Nick's. They're not bad, they're just...They're just this inescapable reminder. That I'm not the person I think I am. That I'm not a person at all. I'm just a machine," he sighed. "A machine <em>pretending</em> to be human."</p><p>She could feel the weight behind his words, decades of repressed emotions. "Nick...you are a person. You have your own experiences. You can think, you can feel. A machine can't do that."</p><p>"Nice of you to say, but your kind don't usually have to deal with someone else's whole life trapped inside their skulls."</p><p>"Would you be comfortable telling me about those memories?"</p><p>He shrugged. "Everything. Old cases. Old loves."</p><p>She tried to keep a straight face. She felt a variety of emotions overwhelming her at once.</p><p>"I've found myself running background on cases only to realize everyone involved's been dead for 200 years," he said. He was so...somber. Tired.</p><p>He turned to face her again. Despite her mounting anxiety, her burning questions, she said nothing. She hesitated, before putting a hand on his, ever so gently. He didn't react other than giving her a weak smile.</p><p>"Don't get me wrong. I know I'm in Nick's debt. These memories, they've kept me alive. Nick was a hell of a cop, a guy with good instincts, and a good heart."</p><p>Nora smiled. "You are all these things, too. You're one of the best people I've ever met."</p><p>"Thanks. But...it feels hollow. Like an act." He looked down at his body, wires and all. "It's thanks to Nick that I pass for human. Why I get to live cushy in Diamond City and every other synth is shot on sight. I know I got it good, but... my entire life I owe to Nick. Everything that makes me who I am - my judgment, my speech, hell, even my name - they're his."</p><p>She squeezed his hand, an encouragement to keep going. He had decades of baggage to unload, and Nora was more than happy to listen.</p><p>"And I can't do a damn thing about it because without them... without them I'm nothing. A shell. All I want is a life where I have something I can call my own."</p><p>"Nick," she said softly. "You have a life. You've solved cases the other Nick never did, met people he never did. You have your own practice, your own home." she felt her heart in her throat. "You have me."</p><p>He looked into her eyes. She was too scared to look away. They sat like that, eyes locked, for a while. Eventually, he broke it. "I...I appreciate that, Nora. I think...I think I need some time to think about all this. Thanks for hearing me out."</p><p>"Of course," she said. She took her hand away, not wanting to make him feel even more awkward. She couldn't help but feel he had just rejected her. "Is...is there anything else?"</p><p>"...No," he said after a pause. "We should get going. Daylight burning, you know."</p><p> </p><p>The two decided to stop by Goodneighbor first. Nora was out of rad-x and chems were much cheaper to find there than in Diamond City. They arrived at around sunset the next day.</p><p>They sat at a small table outside of Daisy's place. Nora ate some sort of cheap fried meat, and the two discussed their travel plans, mapping out alternate routes.</p><p>"Hey, nobody told me the detective duo had waltzed into town!" </p><p>Hancock made his way to their table, shit-eating grin and all. He pulled up a chair, giving Nick a hard pat on the back. Nick frowned, but didn't say anything.</p><p><em>God, he's even cute grumpy</em>, Nora thought.</p><p>"Hey, Hancock," Nora said lightly. "How's the town treatin' you?"</p><p>"Ah, same ol' same ol'," he waved a hand dismissively. "Haven't had a bomb scare or an attempted assassination in weeks. Starting to get boring."</p><p>"Sounds like this place is losing its edge...if you're not careful, you'll lose that hard exterior," Nick smirked. </p><p>Hancock laughed. "Nick Valentine, calling me soft? I'm hurt!"</p><p>The synth chuckled. Nora couldn't help but stare. She truly believed his smile could light up a room.</p><p>She wasn't sure if she was imagining things, or if Hancock was giving her an odd look.</p><p>"So, aside from bullying lil ol' me, what brings you two back to my humble home?" he asked.</p><p>"Just passing through. Got some case evidence to pick up," Nick said.</p><p>"You goody-two-shoes still keeping the detail under wraps?"</p><p>"I'm afraid so," Nora said with feigned sadness. Funnily enough, now that she was so focused on her partner, Hancock's charm was barely even affecting her anymore.</p><p>Hancock smirked. "Matching hats, matching attitude...aren't you two just adorable?"</p><p>"Hancock, you and I both know <em>she's</em> the one making the hat look good."</p><p>Nora almost choked on her water. She felt her cheeks burn. Hancock's eyebrows shot up.</p><p>"Damn, Valentine. You're smooth." the ghoul laughed, still looking surprised.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That night, they rented another room in Goodneighbor's hotel. It was more or less the same layout as the room they'd rented previously. Nick sank into an armchair with a weary sigh. It lasted a bit too long for Nora not to notice.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"It's...a case. A case that's been rattling around in my noggin for a long, long time."</p><p>Nora sat up on the bed, ready to listen. </p><p>"Once upon a time in the land of Boston, there lived a king of organized crime. Eddie Winter. He was a bad man who did a lot of bad things. Hurt a lot of innocent people."</p><p>"Eddie Winter..." Nora mumbled. It sounded familiar. "I think he was from my time. Sounds like he was a monster."</p><p>"You can say that again. But he knew the end was coming. So he sealed himself inside a personal shelter, located underneath the sub shop he used as a headquarters."</p><p>Nora wasn't sure where he was going, but she kept listening.</p><p>"The story gets even more twisted. The arrogant bastard wanted to cheat death. Live forever. So he could come out of that shelter someday, into this brave new world. Sound familiar?"</p><p>Nora chuckled. "Sure does."</p><p>"But Eddie didn't want to be a frozen banana. No cryo sleep for him. No, he invested his money in some sick, crazy radiation experiment."</p><p>"Wait, you mean..."</p><p>"I sure do," Nick said. He was getting more confident the more he spoke. Nora could tell he was really passionate about that case. "Eddie Winter went and turned himself into a ghoul. And I'm convinced that he's still locked inside that shelter. Safe and sound. Ready to come out, and begin his evil reign all over again."</p><p>He looked her in the eye. He seemed angry - something Nora was rarely witness to. "I'm going to find him, and kill him, so that never happens. You in?"</p><p>Nora was taken aback by that. She was confused - what made this guy so different than the other crime lords? </p><p>She tried to choose her words carefully. "You know I've got your back, Nick...but...what makes Winter so special? I don't understand why you're after him in particular."</p><p>Nick closed his eyes. "I've got these...memories." He sighed deeply. "Of - of a girl. <em>My</em> girl."</p><p>Nora felt someone take a sledgehammer to her heart. Like someone had ripped a rug from underneath her.</p><p>"They're not really my memories, I know that. They're Nick's. But the girl..." Nick balled his fists up. "She was beautiful, and innocent... And Winter killed her. Now he's got to pay the price."</p><p>Nora tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. "O - of course, Nick. I'll help you."</p><p>
  <em>Hold it together for now, Nora. You can't show him this.</em>
</p><p><br/>
Nick sighed, this time with relief. "Oh, thank you, Nora. I think - I think this will really help. Now... I know where Winter's vault is. But the door is sealed with a complex numerical code. Lucky for us, Winter's arrogance knew no bounds. He held codes on these Holotapes. And I've spent God knows how long scouring every police station in the Commonwealth collecting 'em. I think the last one is right by Goodneighbor...we can crack the code, find out where he is."</p><p>Nora nodded. "Let's do it," was all she trusted herself to say without her voice breaking.</p><p>Now it was her turn to be quiet. She couldn't stop going over it in her head. She felt so stupid. Why would she go and let herself fall in love with a synth? Of course he wasn't interested in a weird time-anomaly who he had to watch over like a toddler. She was unstable, mentally ill. Why would he want to deal with something like that?</p><p>As she lay down for the night, Nora faced away from her partner, and began to cry.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Something tells me you know why I lie.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nick was eager to find the last of Winter's holotapes. He thought that maybe, after he was dead...things would be different. He would avenge her, something the original Nick had wanted for so long. </p><p>Through his excitement, he noticed his partner wasn't acting like herself. She was quiet, not making jokes.</p><p>"Just having a bad anxiety day," she had told him.</p><p>They set off for police precinct 8, the only police station in the area Nick had not yet been able to enter. The only way he could see in was through a particularly tricky lock, but Nora's lockpicking abilities were impressive - he was convinced she could pull it off.</p><p>As they were about halfway to the station, a group of raiders got the drop on them. Nora grabbed Nick by the coat, a bullet flying right past his head.</p><p>"Close one," he said, reloading his gun.</p><p>Nora lobbed a frag grenade towards the raiders, causing them to scatter. She took the opportunity to shoot one. </p><p>The synth fired three times in quick succession. Two of them hit a raider wearing a large helmet. She screamed and fell to the ground. Another raider stopped in his tracks at the noise, and Nora took the time to shoot him in the chest.</p><p>"Damn," Nick muttered as a stray bullet went through the side of his coat. It wasn't like the thing was brand new, but holes were rough to try and patch up. He looked in the direction of where the shot came from, but Nora was quicker, so the raider was already down.</p><p>The two remaining raiders had fled, and the detective didn't bother trying to go for them. </p><p>It took Nora a handful of bobby pins and the better part of an hour, but she finally picked the lock.</p><p>The door creaked open, radroaches scattering across the floor away from the light.</p><p>Nick stepped in first. The police station was one of the smaller ones he'd seen, just a few cells and a small reception area. He wiped dust off of the terminal there, and began an attempt to hack through security.</p><p>Nora checked the shelves nearby. She pocketed some ammo, but it looked like most of the rest of it was just junk. She hadn't said a word since they'd left Goodneighbor, and even then it was a passing "goodbye" to Hancock.</p><p>The terminal beeped, assuring Nick that he'd gotten the right password. He clicked idly through a few old emails and inhaled sharply when he read something about a Winter tape.</p><p>"I think this is it, kid...looks like they left it on one of the shelves in the back."</p><p>Nora wandered behind him, and emerged moments later with a holotape in her hand. </p><p>He hugged her lightly. "Oh, Nora, thank you...we're almost done with this." She froze up, and he let go. Nick was confused - she'd never seemed uncomfortable when he'd hugged her before. He couldn't quite read her expression.</p><p>"I think we should go back to the office, the rest of the tapes are stashed there. And we can figure out a plan."</p><p>Nora nodded. "Sounds good. Ellie's probably worried about you, too." She sounded calm, flat. It was very unlike her. Perhaps she <em>was</em> just anxious.</p><p>The detective pocketed the final piece of the puzzle, and they set off for Diamond City. Nora's face was getting red in the bright Commonwealth sun. She was definitely on her way to a wicked sunburn.</p><p>Nick removed his coat. He draped it over his arm and held it above Nora, giving her some shade from the sun's rays. She mumbled words of gratitude. Things were quiet most of the way to the city, save for a small skirmish with some mutated mole rats.</p><p>As Nora predicted, Ellie was very excited to see the detective. She dropped the folder she was holding when they entered the office.</p><p>"It's been so long! I was worried - any update on your baby?"</p><p>Nora didn't say anything, just looked at her feet. Ellie's face fell. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry."</p><p>"It's okay - I think we're close. But - Nick, do you want to tell her?"</p><p>"Ellie, get this - we got the last Winter tape," Nick said. He rushed to his desk, digging through a drawer and stacking up the holotapes he had found.</p><p>"Really? Wow," Ellie said. "That's great...been a long time coming." </p><p>"Sure has," Nick said. He took the last tape out of his coat. "Maybe we can finally put this to rest."</p><p>"Hey, this is a cause for celebration - let's all go out tonight, down to the Dugout." Ellie said with a gleam in her eye.</p><p>"I don't know if, ah, Nora's feeling up to - "</p><p>"I'd love to go," Nora interrupted.</p><p>Nick raised his eyebrows at her, but she just shrugged. He decided to let it go - if this would help, more power to her.</p><p>"Oh, good! There aren't enough girls out here I can have a fun night out with. Nick...you can wingman."</p><p>Nick laughed. "Deal."</p><p>Ellie turned and grabbed Nora by the wrist. "Come on, you can borrow one of my dresses!"</p><p>"Wait, wh - " Nora didn't even get to ask before she got whisked away upstairs.</p><p>The detective chuckled. He could hear the two girls above him, opening and closing cabinet drawers. He sat down at his desk, spreading his tapes across it. </p><p>
  <em>Finally, after all these years. I have all ten tapes. This is how I'll find Winter, solve a case Nick never could.</em>
</p><p>He hoped desperately that getting revenge would give him some sort of inner peace. Maybe he could finally stop feeling a pang in his chest whenever he thought about Jenny...he could live his life without the guilt. Solve his own cases, Nora at his side. The thought made him sigh.</p><p>He heard chattering overhead. Some of it he couldn't make out, but he distinctly heard Ellie say "Damn, girl, I wish I had your waist."</p><p>He smiled. His secretary was like a sister to him, so it was great to see her having fun. Most women in Diamond City were wary of being friends with the woman who lived with a synth.</p><p>Not sure how long those two are gonna be at it up there. Might as well run these through the ol' systems, he thought as he loaded up a holotape.</p><p>He hadn't finished the full set before his friends came downstairs.</p><p>"You are going to be turning heads all night, I promise." Ellie said. She'd gone for a red dress, one that matched her lipstick. She turned to fix Nora's hair. It was still wildly curly, but the way it draped across her shoulders had a certain elegance to it.</p><p>Nora's lips were pink and glossy, her eyes lined with dramatic wings. Her dress was backless, tied around the neck. It was long, and had a slit on the side that went all the way up her thigh. The whole thing was silver, with a glittering texture that was almost blinding when it hit the light. It hugged her midsection, showing off the curve of her hips Nick had never really noticed before.</p><p>She was stunning.</p><p>"Well, don't you clean up nice," he said. He was half-joking, but Nora's cheeks went bright pink and she looked down at her shoes.</p><p>"Shut up," she muttered. Ellie cocked an eyebrow at the detective, and he pretended he didn't see it.</p><p>"You sure you didn't overdo it? The Dugout isn't exactly a fancy joint." He suddenly felt under-dressed.</p><p>"We'll just stand out more," Ellie said with a wave of her hand.</p><p>The group decided to stop by the noodle stand first - better, cheaper food than at the bar, after all. Ellie was certainly right about one thing - the two women were turning some heads. Nora looked about ready to kill someone after she'd heard a wolf whistle.</p><p>Nick's partner certainly seemed a little bashful. She kept adjusting the waist of her dress, fidgeting and messing with her hair. She was avoiding eye contact, but that had been normal for her. She ate quickly, though, just like always.</p><p>After they paid for their food, the sun had almost finished setting. They walked down to the Dugout, Nora tripping at least twice because of her heels.</p><p>The bar was dark. Nick always thought the lighting in there was abysmal. Perhaps it was to try and disguise how run down the place was. There was a decent crowd, for Diamond city anyway. They managed to find a few bar stools, so they sat and surveyed the groups of people.</p><p>"See any you like?" The secretary whispered towards Nora</p><p>"Any what?"</p><p>"Men! Anyone catching your eye?"</p><p>Nick felt awkward listening to that conversation. Like he was a third wheel. Nora sighed. She scanned the room. "Uhh, not really. I thought we were finding <em>you</em> a guy." She quickly ordered a cocktail from the bartender.</p><p>"We are! I haven't had a boyfriend in far too long.There's no reason we can't try and hook you up too, though. What's your type?"</p><p>"I don't know if I really have a-"</p><p>"She's got a thing for Hancock," Nick pointed out.</p><p>Nora stared daggers at him. Ellie laughed heartily.</p><p>"Hancock? Like the mayor Hancock?" She took a swig of beer and laughed again. "Didn't take you for a ghoul chaser."</p><p>Nora buried her face in her hands, groaning. "I'm going to kill you, Valentine." Nick tried to suppress a chuckle.</p><p>"You know, I grew up in Goodneighbor. Hancock's pretty open...I could easily hook you two up."</p><p>Nora sighed. "Ellie, this is <em>not</em> the right time in my life to be bothering with men."</p><p><em>Makes sense</em>, Nick thought. <em>She just lost her whole family. Adding a relationship into the mix would be a mess...God, especially with Hancock.</em></p><p>Ellie apparently gave up on the 'find a man' scheme pretty early on. She was too tipsy to care. She kept pestering Nora and Nick to dance with her, a request that was repeatedly denied. A fair amount of drunken patrons attempted to flirt with both women, but all were rejected before even getting a second line in. Nick just watched the whole thing from the bar. It was pretty funny. Ever so often, he would make eye contact with Nora, who would nervously tuck a stray hair behind her ear.</p><p>They ended up playing cards for an ungodly amount of time with some local drunks. Nick was laughing harder than he'd done in years. Even Nora seemed to cheer up a bit.</p><p>As the three left the Dugout, Ellie holding onto Nick for balance, Nora didn't make a sound. She kept staring at the sky, not saying a word.</p><p>The synth was starting to really worry about her. And after she'd retired to the bed under the stairs, before Nick could finish running the holotapes through his processor, there was only one thing he could think to say.</p><p>"Thank you, Nora. For everything."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter is going to be very long, but should be up within these next few days! Just needs some minor tweaking. Thanks so much for your supportive comments. I never saw myself writing fanfic but it's so much fun that I think I'm going to continue.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Don't say goodbye.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>"One, nine, five, three, seven, two, eight, four, zero, six."</p><p>Nora rubbed her eyes. She needed a moment to wake up. She yawned and looked around, stopping when she realized the voice she'd heard was Nick. "Well, good morning to you too."</p><p>"That's the code! For Winter's place. I've been waiting for morning to come so we could head out," he said. "I've already asked Ellie to pick up some food for you." He handed his partner a cup of coffee. Nora wasn't sure she'd ever seen him so excited - for a murder, no less. It left a bad taste in her mouth.</p><p>She should have been happy to help Nick out, but...she couldn't help thinking about what he said.</p><p>
  <em>A girl. My girl.</em>
</p><p>She felt a punch to the abdomen whenever she thought about those words. Was it selfish of her to think Nick should just move on? </p><p>
  <em>Yes, probably. I should want what's best for him, and this might be it...but is it? Will he just feel worse when killing Winter doesn't bring this girl back?</em>
</p><p>"You alright, kid?" Nick's voice snapped her from her thoughts.</p><p>"Yeah, I just...Nick, do you really want to do this?"</p><p>He cocked his head to the side. "Are you yanking my chain? I've been at this case for years."</p><p>"I know - I know. But..." she took a deep breath. "What if it doesn't give you the peace of mind you think it will?"</p><p>Nick's face fell slightly. "I - it has to. What else am I supposed to do?"</p><p>"Won't it feel worse if it doesn't do anything? All those years for <em>nothing?</em>"</p><p>"It's better than not trying at all!" His voice was gradually getting louder. "Nora, I thought you had my back on this. After all we've been through, you just want to give up?"</p><p>"Not give up, just - move on, you're spending so much time and energy on this woman, and..."</p><p>"Hey. That's not fair. Winter needs to pay for <em>all</em> of the lives he took, not just Jenny's. But if you'd rather stay here, be my guest."</p><p>"No, I have your back, I -"</p><p>"Sure as hell doesn't sound like it!" he was close to shouting. Nora felt tears sting at her eyes. "This is the most important thing to me, and you're trying to talk me out of it?"</p><p>Nora felt another punch to the gut. Her apprehension quickly turned into anger. "The most important thing?! The most important thing to you is - is some woman you've never met? It's not going to bring her back, Nick! And even if she did, she wouldn't even recogn --"</p><p>She stopped talking when she saw the look on his face. She had hurt him, and she knew it. She clamped a hand to her mouth. "Nick, no, I didn't mean it that way, I -"</p><p>"I know exactly what you meant." He wasn't yelling anymore. "I think...I think I should go confront Winter alone. You can stay here...think about what you want to do."</p><p>"Nick, no, please - I'm sorry, I didn't -"</p><p>The door slammed shut. Nora fell to her knees. The tears finally spilled over. She fucked up, and she'd fucked up bad. She felt a sob rip through her chest, and all she could think to do was crawl pathetically back into bed. She sat there curled up in a ball, for at least an hour, and let the anxiety overtake her.</p><p>
  <em>Why didn't I just keep my stupid mouth shut? I could have at least stayed his friend - now who knows what's going to happen? Why did I --</em>
</p><p>She heard the clicking of Ellie's heels as she opened the door to the office. She was carrying a bag of groceries in one arm.</p><p>"Sorry I'm late, boss! I had to go to a different store out of town for..." she seemed to notice Nora was crying. She dropped her bag and ran over to the vault dweller.</p><p>"What's going on?"</p><p>Nora sniffed. "I'm an idiot, Ellie."</p><p>Ellie just gave her a look of confusion. "Where's Nick?"</p><p>She just sobbed.</p><p>"I'm lost, did you two...get into a fight?"</p><p>Nora nodded. "I - I said something really awful to him," she hiccuped. "I told him that he shouldn't be throwing all these resources into a woman he doesn't know."</p><p>"...Oh. Nora, he's been working on that case since before we met...it's, ah, really important to him."</p><p>"I know," Nora put her face in her hands as another sob tore through her. "I know, I just - I want him to move on, to see what's right in front of him, and I hurt him for my own stupid, selfish reasons."</p><p>The secretary gave her a puzzled look. Then it hit her. "Oh? Ohh.<em> Ohhhhhhhh...</em>"</p><p>Nora groaned. </p><p>"So, by 'in front of him', you mean...you."</p><p>"Because I'm an idiot," Nora repeated. "What was I thinking? Falling in love with <em>Nick Valentine?</em> What's wrong with me?"</p><p>"Hey, hey," Ellie said softly. She ran a hand through Nora's curly hair. "Listen...I've known Nick for a long time. And I know he's stubborn. He needs to do this."</p><p>Nora nodded, wiping her face.</p><p>"But another thing I know," she continued, "is that I've never seen Nick this happy before. I can't say whether or not he has feelings for you. But what I can say is that he cares about you. And he's not going to give up on you over one fight."</p><p>Nora felt some of the tightness in her chest ease. She knew Ellie was right. She wiped the tears from her face and stood up. "I'm going to catch up to him."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Nick half-jogged through the Diamond City trade district. He ignored several greetings - it was uncharacteristic of him, but he couldn't concentrate. He was fuming.</p><p>
  <em>How could Nora say that to me? After all we've done together, after all I've done for her...</em>
</p><p>He went through their argument in his head over and over again. He couldn't stop himself.</p><p>He must have been on auto-pilot, so to speak, because without realizing it he was walking through the gates of Goodneighbor.</p><p><em>Maybe some music will cool me off</em>, he thought. He wandered through the dirty alleyways, caring little about the splashes of water soaking the ankles of his trousers. </p><p>Once he was at the Third Rail, he wasn't sure what to do. He had the urge to drink until he blacked out, but that wasn't exactly possible for someone with no organs. Instead, he just plopped down at a bar stool and lit a cigarette. The bar was uncharacteristically quiet. A few of the neon signs blinked. The buzzing noise was just irritating enough to make his foul mood even worse.</p><p>He could only fixate on what his partner said to him during their squabble. He stared at the cherry of his cigarette, going over the argument again. The synth was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't even see Hancock slide into the chair next to his.</p><p>"Trouble in paradise?"</p><p>The sudden noise in such close proximity startled him. "I'm sorry?"</p><p>"That little filly of yours. Always behind you, like your shadow...but not today. Hmm."</p><p>"John, I'm really not in the mood for your games."</p><p>The ghoul raised an eyebrow and flashed his trademark smirk. "No game, no game. You just looked like you needed someone to talk to. I've never seen anyone smoke a cigarette so hard."</p><p><em>Maybe he's right</em>, Nick thought. <em>It's not like somebody else is gonna listen to me rattle my bones</em>.</p><p>The detective sighed, and took another drag. "...I thought I had Nora pegged, you know? Thought she was different. Guess she let this place sink its claws into her after all."</p><p>"Oh, come on. What'd she do, steal a box of snack cakes?"</p><p>"She said something awful. About - about Jenny."</p><p>The ghoul scoffed. "What, that's all? You need to have an existential crisis about more serious shit."</p><p>Nick scowled at him. "'That's all'? You know how important Jenny is to - to Nick. To these memories I have."</p><p>"Jesus. For a detective, you sure are slow."</p><p>"What is that supposed to mean?"</p><p>"She's obviously just jealous." Hancock said. Nick didn't like his condescending tone.</p><p>"Who?" He lit another cigarette. The two were close enough that the flames from the lighter were reflecting against the ghoul's rough skin.</p><p>"<em>Nora</em>. She's jealous that you keep talking about some other woman. Why wouldn't she be?"</p><p>Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hancock, I'm not going to sit here and listen to you psychoanalyze my partner. Why would she be jealous?"</p><p>The ghoul was quiet for a moment. He just sat there, wide-eyed. "...You really don't know, do you?"</p><p>Nick was starting to lose his patience. "Know WHAT?"</p><p>"That girl is in love with you."</p><p>If Nick was capable of choking, he would have. Instead, he blinked rapidly, mouth agape. Once he composed himself, he shook his head. "You're insane."</p><p>"I've seen the way she looks at you. She wants to jump those metal bones of yours."</p><p>The synth waited for Hancock to start laughing. He waited for him to say, '<em>you should have seen the look on your face!</em>'.</p><p>But there was nothing.</p><p>"You honestly haven't seen how she stares at you? She's hot for you, brother. I thought you two were already together."</p><p>"That's - that's insane. I'm a broken old toaster, she's - "</p><p>"She's cute, I know. Be lying if I said I wasn't jealous, but..." Hancock shrugged and took a swig of vodka. "That's why she said that shit about Jenny. Don't blame her."</p><p>Nick shook his head. "There's no way. The only person who's ever had a thing for me is - well, you."</p><p>Hancock snorted. "Heh. Once. But, hell, what's that tell ya? You've got <em>some</em> sort of appeal."</p><p>Nick couldn't believe it. Hancock had to be messing with him. He had to have some ulterior motive. </p><p>"Listen. You two spend all your time together, right? You care about her?"</p><p>"Obviously, but - "</p><p>"And she cares about you. Do you really want to throw that away after one fight?" Hancock put a hand on Nick's shoulder. "Listen...I know losing Jenny was hard. No doubt. But would she want you - Nick, whoever - to be miserable the rest of your life? Or would she want you to move on?"</p><p>He hated to admit it, but he was right. Jenny wouldn't have wanted Nick - either Nick - to keep punishing himself for something he wasn't responsible for.</p><p>Hancock rolled his eyes. "Do what you want, brother. But you know...you'd better decide soon. Because if you don't make a move on her...I will."</p><p>He left Nick alone at the bar. Nick put his cigarette out on a small glass ashtray.</p><p>
  <em>That son of a bitch is crazy. But...he's right about one thing. I can't just abandon Nora. Jenny wouldn't want that.</em>
</p><p>He turned heel and went straight for Diamond City. He knew he couldn't confront Winter without his partner at his side.</p><p>He still couldn't wrap his head around the other things the mayor told him. The chems must have finally rotted his brain. He thought about how Nora had looked the night before, all dolled up. There was no way a dame like that would fall for a gen 2 synth with half of his body falling off. It just wasn't possible. </p><p>Absorbed in his thoughts yet again, he was surprised when he heard a familiar voice call his name. He saw Nora in the distance, running to catch up to him.</p><p>Her face was red and tear-streaked. She panted for air. Nick surmised she had jogged the entire way. </p><p>"Nora, I - "</p><p>"Please. Let me say something. I'm - I'm sorry, Nick. I'm <em>so</em> sorry. What I said was selfish and - and disgusting. I just want you to be happy. And I...I conveyed that in the worst way. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me...you're the most important person in my world, I can't - "</p><p>He pulled her in for an embrace. It was different, somehow. He was only now acutely aware of her breasts pushing up against him. Her deceptively fragile frame putting pressure on his entire body.</p><p>Never had he thought of his partner as a woman. Obviously, he was aware of her gender. However, he had paid no mind to the vault dweller's subtle curves. Her pouty lips. Her flushed cheeks. He felt, or perhaps imagined, a sensation of warmth spreading through his chest. It was distantly familiar.</p><p>"I forgive you."</p><p>That was all he needed to say. Nora squeezed him harder, her long nails digging into his back as much as they could against cold steel. She mumbled words of gratitude, only muffled by his clothing.</p><p>When their hug ended, she had only one sentence to croak out.</p><p>"Let's go kill ourselves a crime lord."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Don't leave, don't cry.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Nick, please talk to me," Nora pleaded. The deed was done. Winter was dead. Her partner, however, was not behaving as expected. He went silent, leaving the sub shop and wandering aimlessly. </p><p>He stopped in his tracks. The two were standing out in front of Winter's former hideout. The city around them was silent. Nora - cautiously, wordlessly - stood next to her partner. Their fingers almost touched. She waited for him to speak. </p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>He wasn't looking at her, at anything. He was looking far off into the past, likely into Nick's memories. His stoic face showed no change. Something about it felt unfamiliar and distant.</p><p>"We're done here. But there's one more thing I've got to do," he said. "I...I wouldn't mind the company. If you wouldn't mind tagging along."</p><p>Nora touched him lightly on the arm. He turned, but he was looking through her, rather than at her.</p><p>"Lead the way," she said quietly.</p><p>She had expected to follow him for quite a ways, but after only a few blocks of torn-up buildings and signposts, Nick stopped in his tracks. They were right across from one of the rotting wooden decks overlooking the harbor. Nora looked over the still waters of the lake. She could hear the distant cries of gulls.</p><p>Nick knelt down over an area in the concrete which had been broken, and refilled with dirt, long ago. He gingerly placed a hand on the spot. Nora merely observed.</p><p>"This is it," he muttered. His metallic fingers sank through the soft earth. "In this spot, two hundred years ago, one of Eddie's boys gunned down Jenny Lands, my fia - <em>Nick's</em> fiance."</p><p>It was then when Nora realized the extent of her selfishness. It didn't matter what she felt - he was more important than some fantasy relationship conjured up in the back of her mind. It wasn't about her, it was about Nick and the healing he needed to go through. As far as he was concerned, these memories were the only life he'd ever known. </p><p>"Nick. I'm so sorry."</p><p>That was all she could say. Nick's closure was more important than her silly schoolgirl crush. All she wanted was for him to feel like his own person, and she almost got in the way of that. There was no way she'd be able to make that up to him, but she had to try.</p><p>"Now Eddie's as dead as Jenny and Nick. And I... I'm at a loss." She heard his voice break. It felt like a kick to the abdomen. Never had she heard Nick Valentine so emotional, so heartbroken. It was too much. She blinked back her own tears, sitting on the rough concrete next to him. She wrapped a hand around his waist, not caring how he read the situation. What he needed now, more than anything, was kindness.</p><p>He leaned into her touch. They sat, silent, watching the sun duck under the horizon. Her partner stared straight ahead. Neither of them needed to speak. The way he lay his head on her shoulder told her everything she needed to know. He was still hurting, perhaps he would always be. There was a wound in him that no medicine or reprogramming could fix. Just like her. Nora knew, if it were possible, he would have cried. For Jenny, for Nick, for his memories and how alien it must have felt in his own body. </p><p>A streetlight flickering above them seemed to bring him back to the present. He picked his head up, and Nora let her arm around him fall. He used his good hand to brace his weight, hoisting himself up with a small creak of his joints. Nora followed suit.</p><p>It seemed Nick couldn't take his eyes away from the makeshift grave. His yellow irises refused to move. </p><p>"Goodbye, Jenny." He said it so quietly it could have been the wind.</p><p>"We can stay here longer," Nora said softly. </p><p>"No, no. If we don't leave now, I - I don't know if I'll ever be able to."</p><p>His voice threatened to break again. Nora could hear it. She'd heard it in her own voice many a time. She merely nodded, and followed her partner. </p><p>They walked the line of the highway, still silent. The very air around them seemed to reflect things. It was humid and still. They heard no wildlife, nor signs of any settlers or raiders. One could have almost called it peaceful. Things were quiet still, even as the two ducked into the remnants of a pre-war boutique, and Nora fell into a restless sleep.</p><p>When she woke, her partner was staring at the sky yet again. She readied herself quietly, not wanting to disturb him. As she rolled up her worn bedroll, he turned. He gave her a weak smile.</p><p>"Morning, sunshine."</p><p>"Morning, Nick. How are you feeling? You know, after yesterday."</p><p>He was on his feet now. He began to pace back and forth while Nora finished packing her things.</p><p>"I..." he started, still pacing, "I'm not sure. It's a lot to process."</p><p>"I understand."</p><p>"All I know is that, without you, Eddie'd still be at large," he said, finally stopping to lean on a counter next to her. He kept rubbing at his neck, likely from stress or nerves. "So...thank you."</p><p>"You could have gotten to him by yourself, partner. I just came along for the ride."</p><p>"I think that may be what I needed most of all, kid." he flashed a genuine smile, though his grief was still visible behind it. "It's...a lot. Eddie Winter was all that's left of the original Nick Valentine. The last proof outside of some long lost Institute archive I was ever just..." his voice quivered. "A mechanical copy of some cop from a bygone era."</p><p>She turned to face him, and gingerly cupped his hand in hers. "Nick...I can't imagine how you feel. I don't think I ever could. But the way I see it, there is no 'other Nick'. Look. You can feel this - my hand. The other Nick Valentine can't. You - you have your own practice, your own friends, your own enemies. The other Nick isn't the person who dropped everything to help some clueless stranger find her son. That was <em>you</em>."</p><p>The words got caught in her throat before she could say what she desperately wanted to. <em>The original Nick isn't the man I fell for.</em></p><p>The synth opened a pack of smokes, looking at the object sitting in his needle-tipped fingers."I wish it was that easy. But it's not." He shoved the small container back into his pocket. "I - I WAS Nick Valentine. I had his memories. His fears. All that poor bastard's hope."</p><p>A heavy sigh, filled with the baggage of 200 years, left his mouth. "I remember getting the call to head to some lab in Cambridge to get that neurotrans-whatever.  And the next thing I know, I'm in a trash heap, my family, my home, my entire life, gone." His solemn, even tone changed. "Then I discover - all those things, they weren't even mine," he spat.</p><p>He made his way toward a shattered mirror, examining himself with scrutinizing eyes. "Everything I ever was belonged to Nick. I'd hoped with Winter gone, the last hint of that old world snuffed out, I could finally be free." He traced one of the thin lines adorning his face, observing his reflection do the same. </p><p>Nora said nothing. She couldn't.</p><p>He continued to stare at himself. "But being out here with you..." Nora's stomach clenched at his words. "What I finally realized after all this time was that taking down Winter - it wasn't about Nick, or Jenny, or even us. It was about doing what's right. And that act of goodness, that's ours. All the good we've done. That's ours and ours alone."</p><p>He sighed, and his tone became more confident. "If these things we've done - if they're the only things in this world I can ever claim as mine, not Nick's, not the Institute's, but mine... then I can die happy."</p><p>Nora slid into the view of the mirror. "If you weren't here...there would be so many more missing people. I wouldn't be close to finding my baby. That wasn't Nick. It was you. You've been free all along." With her eyes focused on their cracked and broken reflections, she plainly said, "you've done more than you'll ever know."</p><p>She could never be sure, but she thought she saw his eyes dart to her, faster than she could even blink. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. </p><p>"Nora...none of it would have ever happened if it weren't for you. I'm not sure I'll ever be to thank you for that."</p><p>"You're my best friend. That's what friends do. You don't have t -"</p><p>Her words stopped in her throat when he pulled her in for a hug. They had hugged before, obviously, but this was the first time she could recall him initiating. It caught her off guard, but she wrapped her arms around the synthetic man. Her face was warm. How long did they stay like that? Minutes? Hours? Nora couldn't say.</p><p>When he let her go, she looked at his worn face, and felt a surge of affection. "Nick, I..." she opened her mouth, but nothing came out.</p><p>
  <em>No. This is not the time. He is hurting.</em>
</p><p>She tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. "...I - thank you, For helping me find Shaun. I couldn't have done it without you."</p><p>"You've helped me more than I can express, partner." He smiled down at her, and Nora felt her heart soar.</p><p>"What do we do now?" she asked him quietly.</p><p>"If you still want to travel together," Nick rubbed the back of his neck yet again, "We could just - go back to how things were. You, me, the open road. Find Shaun."</p><p>"Sounds like a plan," she grinned.</p><p>"Now...what's say we find that courser signal?" He adjusted the brim on her hat before heading out to the broken city they called home.</p><p>The sun burned bright on Nora's back as the two headed for the ruins of the Commonwealth Institute of Technology. Nick as still quiet, but the tension had eased considerably. The silence was one of contemplation, rather than of pain. No doubt he was still grieving, but their conversation seemed to have eased some of his worries.</p><p>"Do you think we can do it? ...Defeat a courser, I mean," she asked at some point during their travels.</p><p>Nick was halfway through a cigarette. "I've seen you in action. You're a force to be reckoned with, doll."</p><p>Nora was so taken aback by the name he called her that she tripped over a car tire laying in the road, falling on her hands. She quietly thanked the stars she chose to wear gloves that day - road burns were no joke.</p><p>"Plus, you lose some of the clumsiness when you're shooting," he chuckled. He held out a hand for her, and she took it. She hoped he couldn't see the rising warmth spread across her face.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Strange canyon roads, strange look in your eyes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nick Valentine's thoughts felt like a table tennis match, flying back and forth from extremes, not easy to keep your eye focused on the ball. It seemed he couldn't keep up or concentrate on just about anything. Not hearing questions, missing turns on their route, forgetting to reload.</p><p>His partner said nothing. She would glance over occasionally with concerned eyes, but didn't speak of it. </p><p>He hoped she'd chalked it up to mourning - which it partially was. In truth, Nick had done a majority of his mourning long ago, before he met the vault dweller. Revisiting Winter had brought back many overwhelming feelings, not simply grief. </p><p>Nick felt conflicted. About who he was, his place in the grand scheme of things. But more pertinently, about Nora. His talk with Hancock started a train of thought that left the station before derailing entirely. He was unable to wrap his head around the possibility that Nora saw him as something more than a friend - more than a partner, even.</p><p>Every time Nora would unzip her vault suit, her undershirt clinging to the sweat on her taut stomach muscles. Every time she would wander outside after an improvised shower, wet strands of hair contouring to her perfect cheekbones. Every time she looked up at him from behind her glasses. Every time he would glance over to her sleeping form, auburn curls fanned underneath her and soft snores escaping her full lips.</p><p>He never sought her out in those states. He could never break their trust in that way. But he still had the brain of a human, and that human couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. And whenever he did so, Hancock's words would float back into his mind.</p><p><em>That girl is in love with you</em>.</p><p>He felt his coolant pump a little harder each time. </p><p>His nerves, however, still felt raw. Reliving Jenny's death had left him frayed and confused. Jenny wouldn't wish for him - for Nick - to be stuck on her for a century. But it was still a wound, scabbed over with time. Who's to say it couldn't get scratched, reopen again?</p><p>"We should probably stop up ahead for some supplies," Nora said. He blinked back into the world of the living. Her brows were slightly upturned with worry.</p><p>He tried to give her an assuring smile. "Of course. Let's get you something hot to eat, eh?"</p><p>He watched her move ahead, beads of sweat threatening to drip off of her slender shoulders.</p><p>If - and it was a big if - Nora had any sort of interest in him, what could he give her that a human couldn't? There were nothing but disadvantages being in a relationship with a gen 2 synth, as far as Nick could tell. She deserved someone real. Someone who wasn't all metal and circuitry. Someone she could start a real family with. Someone who wasn't just a digital copy of some stiff.</p><p>He watched from the corner of his peripherals as she wolfed down a plate of brahimin steak. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards. Something about that woman's aura was undeniably charming. </p><p>Against Nick's better judgement, he occasionally entertained the thought of them being together. He was sure, after some time and distance between them and Eddie Winter's body, that things would return to normal.</p><p><br/>
He was wrong. Days later, the tension, either real or imagined, that he felt between them had only gotten heavier. Each accidental brush of the hand, every time their elbows would graze against each other, Nick could feel his systems go into overdrive. His only saving grace was the fact that he was incapable of blushing. </p><p>"Not like you to be jumpy," Nora had said to him with mild concern. "Are you sure you don't need - someone to take a look at your systems?"</p><p>He assured her he was fine, just in a vulnerable state of mind. Still healing. It wasn't entirely a lie. </p><p>"Looks like we're about halfway to the C.I.T." Nora's voice once again cut through his inner monologue. She was throwing old newspapers into their makeshift fire pit, waiting for her food to cook. </p><p>"Good to hear," he smiled gently. "Once we get that signal, we'll have to travel all the way back out to Virgil, right?"</p><p>Nora grimaced. "Yeah. Back through the scorpion-infested pit he's taken residence in." Nick quickly looked away when he saw her shorts had ridden up and exposed more than enough of her milky white thighs. He didn't want to take away her feelings of comfort by trying to ogle her - the thought made him feel sick.</p><p>"Have you thought about just having me go it alone? You don't have to risk radiation poisoning again." He stared at the tiny stars moving their way over the horizon.</p><p>She seemed to ponder that for a bit. "...I'm not sure. Would Virgil even trust us if I wasn't there? And who's gonna back you up?"</p><p>"I used to do investigations alone all the time, kid. 'Course, it doesn't exactly hold the same appeal it used to."</p><p>"Heh. You'd think after months of me freaking out and dropping things, you'd want to take a break from me." She said it lightheartedly, but Nick could tell some part of her meant it. He himself made similar statements about his own insecurities. </p><p>"Can't get rid of Nick Valentine that easy, I'm afraid," he stretched and lay on his back. "Gonna take a lot more than an anxiety disorder to scare me off."</p><p>He could hear her open her food, plastic fork scraping the side of the tin can. "What are you doing down there?", she asked once she had finished.</p><p>"Stargazing," he pointed at a weather-worn hole in the ceiling. </p><p>She snorted. "Scooch over, then."</p><p>He did what he was told, tensing up slightly when she  lay next to him. He put his hands behind his head, trying to keep still. They were close enough that he could have unfolded an arm and touched her. He saw her cross her arms over her chest out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>More and more often those days, he found his mind wandering, thinking about what it would feel like to kiss her, hold her hand. Would it feel like it did in Nick's old memories? Would it come naturally to him, or would it be awkward and clumsy?</p><p>"Nora?"</p><p>"Yeah?" her high voice came from beside him.</p><p>He thought about how easily he could just turn over, just say, "<em>Nora, I think I have feelings for you</em>."</p><p>But he couldn't. The potential fallout was just too great. He simply couldn't bear the thought of her being uncomfortable, feeling unsafe and asking him to leave. </p><p>"I - I think we should stop by the Railroad on our way back, see how Dogmeat is doing."</p><p>"I'd like that." He could see her out of the corner of his eye. See her chest rise and fall with her relaxed breathing. See how she twiddled her thumbs absentmindedly. See how far she'd scooted over.</p><p>Their shoulders were touching, now. He could feel the warmth radiating off of her skin. He wondered if her skin was soft, delicate, like the rest of her. Being next to her like this, it only made him realize how tiny she truly was. Small, fragile, and so very human.</p><p>"Look," she pointed up above them. "Falling stars."</p><p>Of course, Nick thought. <em>As if this scenario couldn't get more romantic</em>. </p><p>Sure enough, a white meteor streaked the sky above them, leaving a clear trail behind it. A smaller, brighter one followed, lazily crossing their line of sight in a smooth arc. Nora simply watched, wide-eyed. He could see the white lights reflected in the lenses of her glasses. The aura of the moon reflected on her pale skin, giving her an otherworldly glow. She watched the meteor shower with awe, no noise in the night aside from the crackling fire.</p><p>"Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" she asked in a hushed tone.</p><p>"Yes."</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Old river, tumble down.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter contains violence, as well as mildly suggestive dialogue - though, hopefully, y'all are looking forward to more of that part.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Do you know what this is?" Nora asked eagerly, beaming down at the crate they'd stumbled upon.</p><p>"Uh, soap?"</p><p>She laughed. "Not just soap, it's the stuff my friends and I used to swear on!" she grabbed the smooth white bottle, stashing it into her bag. "It was some fancy new formula. You can use this stuff for anything - shampoo, body wash, lotion, hell I've even seen it used for lub -- ah," her face went beet red, "...<em>personal</em>, uh, things."</p><p>Nick's eyebrows disappeared behind the brim of his hat. "I - I see," he cleared his throat.</p><p>"Anyway," she said quickly, trying to force the heat back out of her face. "This was my favorite stuff before the bombs dropped. I can't believe I found some," she smiled. "I feel like I haven't had a proper shower in centuries."</p><p>They grabbed as many bottles as they could carry, stuffing them in Nora's pack. It had been a much-needed lift to her spirits. She missed so many things about pre-war life, and personal hygiene was a big one. It was hard to feel comfortable when the sensation of an inch of grime covered your entire body. Plain water with the occasional imported yucca fruit just didn't cut it after long.</p><p>That night, she was all too eager to test out the old formula. She filled an ancient, rusted bathtub with water from a nearby stream while Nick excused himself to collect firewood. </p><p>It took her a brief few moments to ease herself in to the cold water, but the icy feeling against her skin was welcome in the late Commonwealth humidity. She felt a sigh escape her as she leaned her back against the porcelain. She poured a generous amount of her beloved soap on her hands. The light scent of cucumber filled her nose as she lathered it between her fingers. She massaged her own scalp thoroughly, and laid back down to let it sink into her pores.</p><p>The scent brought her back, to a time when life was simpler. To her white, glistening bathroom, washing Shaun's tiny body. To quick showers before work, nicking her legs while shaving. To nights where her and Nate would go out dancing, return covered in sweat and aching legs. They would take baths together, some nights. Though they weren't an intimate couple, they had no qualms with being nude around each other. It was...easy. Uncomplicated. Difficult to define, perhaps, but mundane.</p><p>Her thoughts, as they so often did, slid back to her partner. Warmth spread across her face as she entertained the thought of him seeing her bathe. She couldn't remember the last time she felt that way. Butterflies in her stomach, warmth erupting from her core. It was unfamiliar, almost frightening. She dunked her head under the surface, washing off the suds and, ideally, stopping that train of thought.</p><p>She emerged, hair sopping wet, and sighed with contentment. Rinsing her body with the thick solution made her feel cleaner than she had in months. Genuinely clean, not just scrubbed with water. Exhaustion tugged at her eyes.</p><p>"I'm back," Nick's voice brought her to the present, rough and deep as always. It was hard to explain what that voice did to her. It left tingles at the base of her spine. </p><p>"I'm almost done here," she called from behind the door.</p><p>"Take your time, take your time." She heard the bed creak with his weight. </p><p>She let her imagination wander. She wondered what would happen if she called out to him, if he saw her there. Vulnerable, only a thin layer of suds between her naked body and his eyeline. If he would stare, maybe even kiss her, touch her.</p><p>She snapped out of her fantasies when she felt the warmth spread to a different area entirely.</p><p>She dried herself, using an old bit of cloth as a towel, before stepping into her underclothes. She scrubbed her old vault suit and lay it out to dry overnight. </p><p>She opened the door and casually strolled into their room they'd set for the night. Nick was sitting against the headboard, eyes unfocused.</p><p>She sat on a splintered wooden chair, running her fingers through tangled hair. She sang, softly. Her voice was not unlike a toddler banging two pots together, but she loved how freeing it felt.</p><p>"You're sure quiet tonight," she mused.</p><p>She turned when there was no response. "Nick?"</p><p>As she was about to ask again, he twitched, shaking his head.</p><p>"You okay?" She stood up.</p><p>"Oh - hi there. I just had one of them - flashes. Of Nick's." His posture relaxed.</p><p>"Are you - was it a bad one?"</p><p>He shook his head. "No, no. A mundane one, if anything. Drinking at a bar with some old coworkers. Don't remember their names." The synth sighed.</p><p>She could tell he didn't want to speak of it anymore. She rubbed some of the thick white stuff on her dry arms, and resumed her light singing. The lotion tingled when it began to absorb into her skin. </p><p>"Good to see you in a bright mood," Nick said. He gave her a soft smile.</p><p>Nora smiled back. "I had no idea how good it would feel to be clean - like, <em>really</em> clean. It's the little things I miss the most, you know?"</p><p>"I can imagine. Only real thing you can do with a body like mine is scrub at it with a wet cloth."</p><p>She frowned at that. "Oh - well, there's still water in the bath if you wanted..."</p><p>"Nah. Don't want to test my sealants, doubt I'm as water-tight as I was fifty years back."</p><p>The tension between them had been hard to ignore, lately. Nora was sure he felt it, too. Where once their silence had been comfortable, natural, it had mutated into an awkward, confusing thing. The reason for the change was unclear to her. Perhaps Nick felt raw from their confrontation with Eddie Winter. Perhaps he was simply eager to move on. Perhaps he'd finally caught on to Nora's feelings - she was a woman who wore her heart on her sleeve, after all. </p><p>Her eyelids were heavy, and yet Nick remained on the only bed in the suite. She didn't want to force him out, but just laying next to him would likely prove more awkward. </p><p>Instead, she sat at the foot of the bed, and waited for the lotion to dry. She felt her partner get up. "Sorry," he mumbled from behind her.</p><p>"It's fine - you don't have to move." There was hesitation in her statement, followed by very thick tension. Her heart beat faster, and she quickly scrambled together an excuse. "I mean - I can always sleep on the floor. Not fair for me to always get the bed." </p><p>She could practically hear Nick's body relax. "Oh. No, no, I don't need to sleep. It'd be, ah, pretty pointless."</p><p>She chastised herself for trying to make Nick uncomfortable. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The Commonwealth Institute of Technology - or, rather, its former shell - was larger than Nora anticipated. Sprawling open areas were placed in between huge buildings filled with classrooms. Massive marble columns surrounded the foyer, and the bright Commonwealth sun shone bright through tall, cracked windows. Nora held out her pip-boy, carefully turning the knob for her radio. As they reached the gigantic rotunda in the center of the university, her radio caught wind of the signal.</p><p>"Looks like the signal gets stronger when we head east," she muttered. Her partner gave her an encouraging nod and smile. </p><p>"We can do this, kid. I know we can."</p><p>He followed closely behind her as she walked down the stained and cracked pavement. Nora couldn't help but tremble slightly as she watched the signal grow stronger. She decided to try and distract herself by looking at her surroundings - a grounding technique she'd learned decades ago.</p><p>There were bits of weeds and grass growing through the gaps in the concrete, sparse green patches breaking up the monotony of grey. Nora couldn't help but wonder if it was nature taking itself back. What had once been the pristine white brick of the university biology wing had been covered in graffiti, the bricks now weathered to a light brown. </p><p>They passed the computer tech wing, and Nora stopped in her tracks. The signal was at its strongest near the strangest building yet. It towered over them, dwarfing the surrounding structures. It was shaped like four upside-down beer bottles, almost completely rusted over its original seafoam green. A plaque bolted to the door read 'Greenetech Genetics'.</p><p>"Looks like our courser is in there." She turned to look at Nick. He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.</p><p>"You ready?" he asked.</p><p>She searched the yellow rings of his eyes for a trace of fear, and found none. Even if she didn't believe in herself, she believed in him. She grabbed the bar on the door and swung it open.</p><p>"Jesus," Nick grimaced. The corpses of no less than five Gunners littered the floor of the lobby. Their bodies were thrown about without care or respect. Some of them were still slowly leaking blood. Nora's stomach churned, and she forced herself to look away.</p><p>"This look like Institute handiwork to you?" She asked, stepping over a body to slide open one of the glass doors.</p><p>"Unfortunately."</p><p>Climbing the stairs to the second floor, they only found more dead Gunners. Nora wasn't sure she'd ever get the smell out of her nose. It was horrendous. She remained glued to her partner, afraid if she got too far away she would join them. </p><p>"If - if that courser can do so much to this many Gunners, how are we going to handle him?" She asked, her voice faltering.</p><p>He hooked his arm around hers. A gesture he'd done before, but Nora's stomach still threatened to flip upside down. "I'm not going to let him hurt you. That's how."</p><p>Nora's mouth went dry.</p><p>It wasn't until they hit the third floor that they spotted the first live Gunners. There were only two, huddled into an office cubicle, but they opened fire at Nick and Nora, who made quick work of them. The stairs had been barricaded, but there was a thick wooden ramp they were easily able to climb.</p><p>Once they hit the fifth floor, they heard shouting and explosions above them. Nora felt the rumble deep in her chest, and dust fell atop their heads. She shot Nick a worried look, but he simply pulled her closer, nodding wordlessly.</p><p>More Gunners who had survived were cowering on the seventh floor. One nursed a completely missing arm, two simply sat in a corner, shaking. One still held his gun at the partners.</p><p>"Stay back!" He aimed at Nick, eyes darting around wildly.</p><p>"We're not here to hurt you," Nora said evenly. She tossed him a stimpack, which he took. He eyed them suspiciously.</p><p>"Just tell us where that fella in the coat went," Nick said.</p><p>"Up - up the elevator," the Gunner replied.</p><p>Nick looked down at his partner. "It's now or never."</p><p>"Let's do this."</p><p>They heard the courser before they saw him. He wasn't shouting, but with the angry way he spoke he might as well have been.</p><p>"Give me. The password." They heard his stern voice command.</p><p>"I swear, I don't know - I'm telling the truth," the Gunner said, tears running down her face. She jumped when she heard the elevator doors open.</p><p>"I don't think you are," the courser said. Without hesitation, he shot the woman in the head. The captives next to her screamed.</p><p>"Now," the courser said coldly, aiming at another Gunner, "what about you?"</p><p>"Get away from them," Nora spoke with as much confidence as possible, stepping in front of Nick. She held on to her rifle so hard her knuckles were white.</p><p>The courser stood up straight, but did not even bother looking at Nora. "You. You've been following me. Are you here for the synth?"</p><p>"What synth?"</p><p>He finally turned to face the pair. His sharp features were curled into a frown. His eyes flashed to Nick, then back to Nora. "Runaway Institute property. I'm shutting her down and bringing her back."</p><p>Nora saw red. "Like Hell you are. I won't let you bring an innocent person back to a life of slavery."</p><p>"Then you will die, like the rest of them."</p><p>He dodged Nora's rifle shot without missing a beat. She wasn't prepared for how fast he was. Nick snaked behind the courser, shooting him in the shoulder. He didn't even flinch. He shrugged off a second shot from the detective, aiming sights at Nora. She ducked, and heard a bullet fly past her head into the wall behind her. All she could feel was the adrenaline pumping through her veins, throbbing in her ears.</p><p>The courser turned to shoot at Nick, who was nearly as quick. The two shots missed. Nora aimed for the courser's head, unloading her entire clip. She managed to hit him three times, and crimson slowly poured from the holes. He didn't seem to even feel it, and he charged at the detective, knocking him to the ground. </p><p>"Nick!" she shouted. Her partner once again shot the courser in his head, and once again he shrugged it off. </p><p>The remaining gunner hostages had taken the opportunity to attempt an escape, and the noise distracted the courser for a brief moment. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Nora, impossibly light on her feet, rushed in an arc until she was directly next to the courser. She held the barrel of the rifle directly to his temple. Just as he began to whip around, she pulled the trigger. The force was too much for his skull, and bits of grey matter spattered from his head onto the wall. His body collapsed.</p><p>Nora threw down her gun and scrambled to get over to her partner. "Please tell me you're okay -"</p><p>"I'm good," he said, wiping the courser's blood off his cheek. "But not as good as that shot. That was some damn good work."</p><p>Nora held out her hand, and Nick accepted it. She pulled the synth in for a hug. She placed a shaking hand on his upper back. She laughed, despite herself. The adrenaline, the relief, the realization that they <em>had really done it</em> - she was overwhelmed. All she could do was laugh into his chest. He squeezed her lightly.</p><p>"I - I can't believe it," she said lightly. She pulled back and looked into his weathered face. "We - we did it. We killed a courser!"</p><p>Nick opened his mouth to say something, and before Nora's brain could tell her what a bad idea it was, she hopped up to kiss him gently on the cheek. Nick's eyebrows shot up, and he seemed to freeze. Nora quickly covered her mouth with a hand.</p><p>"Jesus, I - sorry, Nick, I just - thank you," she said. Her face grew hot. Nick didn't move for a brief period, but seemed to snap out of it. </p><p>"No, no, I - you know, it wasn't...I - " he began to babble.</p><p>"Um, sorry to sour the mood, but I'm still stuck back here!" A female voice came from behind one of the metal doors. </p><p>"Oh, shit!" Nora laughed. She had completely forgotten the synth. "Sorry, um - how do we get you out of there?"</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>And I'm still undone, not quite young.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is mostly angst I'm sorry</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>No human woman would want a synth.</em>
</p><p>Nick stared at the stained, fake skin of his remaining hand. It was hard to recognize it as his, sometimes. When he closed his eyes and imagined himself, he saw a flesh-and-blood human. Nick Valentine, the middle-aged cop with an average life. And yet, when he caught his reflection in a stagnant pool of water, or passed a pane of glass, or looked down at his own hands...he was always startled. The disconnect between his self-image and reality? That was something he knew he'd never get used to. </p><p>He was only vaguely aware of Nora and Tinker Tom speaking next to him. It was like he was underwater, muffled changes in tone the only indication of communication. He couldn't pull himself back in. He could only look at that hand - <em>my hand</em>, he reminded himself. <em>That's my hand</em>.</p><p>And then, a sensation. Nora's hand on his arm. It pulled him back out, and it was clear again. Her soft skin, connecting them in some cosmic indescribable sense. </p><p>"You okay?" her hushed tone pulled him from the water entirely. </p><p>He nodded, and attempted a relaxed smile. He didn't know if it worked. His mind was stuck on that day, not so long ago.</p><p>Nora had kissed him.</p><p>A chaste peck on the cheek, to be sure, but that didn't stop his thoughts from wandering. Her lips were soft. Impossibly warm. The liquid fire that kiss had poured through his veins was unreal. </p><p>He thought it was a feeling he knew, through the original Nick's memories. The stomach-flipping, heart-stopping, rush of endorphins that came from a pretty gal kissing you. He'd felt bits and pieces of it, in his flashes. But for it to happen directly - to his synth programming, to nothing but fancy hardware - was another feeling entirely. He couldn't describe it. </p><p>Nora was gazing at him with concerned eyes, as she often did.</p><p><br/>As she was opening her mouth to speak, Tinker Tom made an excited noise at his terminal. "I got you, you Institute bastard. I got you." Nora quickly rushed to his side after giving Nick a pat on the arm.</p><p>"Solve for N. Come on, show me that sweet base number..." Tom's fingers were faster than just about anyone he'd ever seen. Nora's hand was gripped to the back of his chair. </p><p>You could've heard a pin drop while the computer processed the last bit of information contained on the courser chip. </p><p>Then, a beep.</p><p>Tom wooped, jumped from his chair. "Fuck, we got it! We got the code!" Nora's eyes lit up. She grabbed Tom's face, planted a kiss on his cheek. And Nick's heart sank.</p><p>"Let - let me get that on a holotape for you," Tom stammered, face red. </p><p>Even when Nora's arms squeezed his metal body, Nick was numb. There was a cacophony of <em>thank you</em>s, of <em>I'm sorry</em>s, but they were muffled again. </p><p>He berated himself for thinking that kiss meant anything in the first place. He wanted to crawl inside of himself, and never come back out. When had things changed? Part of him wanted to be back when he had only platonic feelings for her, so he couldn't feel the ache. The ache of longing, of wanting her. </p><p> Fool that he was, the other part of him wanted that ache. In a way, it was a reminder he was alive. Some moments hurt more than others. And that moment...particularly rough.</p><p>
  <em>No human woman would want a synth.</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p><br/>"Nick? Hellooo?"</p><p>The detective blinked back into reality. "Huh?"</p><p>His partner looked at him with upturned eyebrows. "I asked if you were ready to go."</p><p>"Ah, sorry kid. I think I'm good. You go get your suit on."</p><p>They found themselves at the edge of the Glowing Sea, yet again. Their journey had been largely uneventful, but Nick's mind was set on those few days back. </p><p>As he held Nora's hand to guide her through the wastes safely, he felt it again. That ache. Though he craved it, it terrified him. After being alive so long in this new, foreign body, he never entertained the idea that he could feel that longing. </p><p>"You holdin' up back there?" he asked. Nora gave him a thumbs up. Her face was partially obscured by the helmet of her radiation suit, but what he could see...took his breath away.</p><p>He was still a man. He had the brain of a man. So, sure, he'd have passing attraction. A pretty drifter, a handsome shopkeep, even a certain ghoul mayor - he could appreciate some eye candy. Hell, he could imagine more erotic scenarios if the mood suited him. But those were fleeting. </p><p>Feeling Nora's hand in his was more. He wanted to kiss her, hold her, feel her delicate frame under his. To see her eyes flutter closed as she falls asleep in his arms. To make her feel like she's the only woman in the world.</p><p>He couldn't tell her. He couldn't risk losing her forever.</p><p>
  <em>No human woman would want a synth.</em>
</p><p>As they reached the wide mouth of Virgil's cave, he reluctantly let go of her hand. The ache returned.</p><p>The supermutant looked surprised to see them. He shambled over to his foldout table, and gestured for them to sit. </p><p>"Wasn't sure I'd see you again," he admitted. He walked unevenly to a pile of papers on his desk. "You manage to get what you needed?"</p><p>Nora nodded, turning the dial on her pip-boy. "I have the code."</p><p>A short, gravelly laugh. "Suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You did take down Kellogg, courser probably wasn't much of a leap." Virgil thumbed through the stacks of documents with some difficulty. "How'd you manage to get that decoded?"</p><p>Nora gave Nick a wry smile. "The Railroad helped me."</p><p>"Oh god, those kooks? I would've expected they'd be too busy trying to liberate vending machines, or setting computer terminals free, or -"</p><p>"<em>Watch it</em>." Nora's voice was cold and sharp, her eyes severe. It always surprised Nick when she got like that. Doubly so when she grabbed his arm, protectively. </p><p>Virgil's eyes flashed to Nick, then back to Nora's. "Sorry," he said in an entirely unconvincing tone. "They just have...something of a reputation."</p><p>Nick scoffed. "I bet." All he could think about was her arm on his. He tried not to let it show.</p><p>The supermutant cleared his throat uncomfortably. "...Anyway, you're not the only one who's been busy." He threw down a large blueprint in front of them. "I did the best I could, from memory and things I've overheard through the years."</p><p>"And these are...?" Nora asked.</p><p>"Schematics. Wasn't easy - these hands are ridiculous. Fine motor skills have gone to shit. Long story short, you need to build a device that will hijack the signal the Institute uses to teleport Coursers, and send you instead."</p><p>"Do you think it'll work?"</p><p>He hesitated. "I...can't guarantee that. I'm sorry. But if you can build this device, and make use of that code, you should be able to override the signal from the Institute's relay. Theoretically."</p><p>"I think that's gonna be our best shot." She let go of Nick's arm, and traced a thin finger over the blueprints. She probably couldn't make heads or tails of it. </p><p>"Can you? I mean, can you build it? You have people that can help?" Virgil asked a little too quickly.</p><p>"I sure do."</p><p>"The, uh, Railroad?"</p><p>"Yep. Got a problem with that?" her voice turned icy again.</p><p>Virgil didn't answer. It was probably the smartest idea for him. </p><p>They held hands, again, as they left the quiet of Virgil's cave. Nick didn't want to let go. He wanted that feeling. It was so new to him.</p><p>Used to be he didn't know where the old Nick ended, and the new Nick began.</p><p>He knew, now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The sun goes down, another dreamless night. You're right by my side</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is probably gonna be a long one, but it's also an important one. Thanks again for all of the support!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"'Sunshine Tidings', eh? Knowing naming conventions around here, we're either about to step into a hippie commune or a horrifying gore fest." Nick said to his partner as they made their way towards the trail. Their plan was easy - clear out a place to build the relay. Tom had assured them he'd be down there in a few days to help them build the rest. Then, hopefully, Nora would be able to find Shaun.</p>
<p>"With our luck? Expect the latter."</p>
<p>Nick's laugh was rough, smoky, and masculine. It always managed to make Nora's stomach do backflips. Things had...changed. The tension was still there between them, a strange energy that Nora could never figure out the source of. Her impulsive kiss had not eased things, and she was angry with herself.</p>
<p>Dogmeat was running ahead of them, spinning in circles and barking. Apparently he was excited to be traveling with them again. A lonely, wide dirt road stretched ahead of them. The trip would likely take a day or two.</p>
<p>"Since we're headed west, there probably won't be as many raiders," Nick said as they sat in the shade of a cragged old oak tree. Nora leaned against its trunk, bark poking into her upper back. </p>
<p>She thumbed through her pip-boy, making sure they were still headed in the right direction. The co-op would only be a stone's throw away from Sanctuary. Perhaps she could return someday, when the thought didn't grab ahold of her heart like an angry deathclaw.</p>
<p>"You know that town you told me about - the first one you came to after you..woke up?"</p>
<p>Nick seemed surprised by the question. "What about it?"</p>
<p>"Do you ever want to go back? See your old friends? We could go, after all this." </p>
<p>Nick's face fell. "Ah, see...I did, once. That place was wiped off the map. Raiders." He thumbed the buttons of his coat nervously. </p>
<p>"Oh - oh, I'm so sorry."</p>
<p>"'<em>Never to suffer would never to have been blessed</em>'," the synth said quietly.</p>
<p>"We're quoting Poe now?"</p>
<p>"You do a lot of reading when you've been out here so long. Well, when you're not a popsicle."</p>
<p>Nora snorted. "That's the third time you've referred to me as food."</p>
<p>"Can't think of a whole lot of other frozen things," he shrugged. Nora laughed, and Nick mirrored it.</p>
<p>Things were nicer, that way. Things felt normal again, like they were before that tension had set in. Just two best friends, nothing complicated to get in the way. Nora wondered, with a heavy heart, if things could ever be like that between them again.<br/><br/></p>
<p> </p>
<p>They reached the top of a steep hill when they first set eyes on Sunshine Tidings. Nora's heartstrings were pulled by some invisible force, and she wasn't sure why. </p>
<p>It was a small plot of land, obviously long-abandoned. Flat, dead grass was underfoot, along with rows of dead crops. A circle of six rustic cabins surrounded a huge tin barn. There was some sort of communal cafeteria built atop a concrete base. Skinny trees had began to grow through the tough dirt, extending their branches towards the sun like outstretched hands. The outskirts of the co-op overlooked the lake, the sparkling water cool and still.</p>
<p>"Is it just me, or is this place kinda...beautiful?" Nora asked.</p>
<p>"You know, I think you're right," Nick said as they climbed down the steep incline. "I'd go far enough as to call it quaint."</p>
<p>Nora wasn't quite sure if he was making fun of her or not.</p>
<p>They cautiously began checking buildings for raiders or wild animals. The second cabin had a long-dead ghoul, and Nick hauled it over his shoulder. "You think we should bury the sorry bastard?"</p>
<p>"That might be the best idea," Nora pinched her nose. The smell was horrendous. </p>
<p>The third cabin they checked was by far Nora's favorite. The porch had a gorgeous view of the sunset over the water. The inside housed a huge bed with homemade animal fur blankets, a loveseat covered in cigarette burns, and a dresser full of pre-war dresses. It was cozy, homely, and a little romantic. Nora sat her bag down. "I'm taking this one," she said as she flashed a smile at her partner.</p>
<p>They both snapped to attention when they heard a noise outside. Nora gripped her rifle and crouched down.</p>
<p>"Barn," Nick whispered. They rushed behind the barn door, Nora pointing her rifle in front of her.</p>
<p>"Hello?" She asked cautiously.</p>
<p>"Greetings!" A busted up Mister Handy floated lazily past the door. Nora lowered her gun.</p>
<p>"Oh, um, hello?"</p>
<p>"Groovy!" The robot floated right past them.</p>
<p>"What's your name?" Nick asked.</p>
<p>"Far out," it drawled. Nora had never heard a Mister Handy with that kind of voice. It seemed to ignore them entirely, mumbling catch phrases to itself.</p>
<p>Nick and Nora made eye contact and burst into laughter, the kind that made Nora's stomach hurt. Again, things felt normal, the tension erased. </p>
<p>Things continued to feel normal as they piled up firewood on the cinderblock cooking station. Nora dragged up some plastic chairs, so they could sit and watch the rest of the sun sink under the lake. Purples and pinks swirled across the surface of the water.</p>
<p>"This place makes me...nostalgic." Nora poured a can of beans into the cast-iron pot. "I think if we fix up the place it might make a nice little homestead."</p>
<p>"You could bring Shaun up here," Nick said. He was tightening a screw in his wrist. "When you want out of the city."</p>
<p>She smiled, looking down at the dead grass beneath their feet. "You still want me to come work with you?"</p>
<p>He fished a cigarette from his pocket. "Of course, kid. That is, if you haven't changed your mind..." he trailed off awkwardly.</p>
<p>"No, no! I want to be your co-detective, we could do a lot of good out there."</p>
<p>Nick hummed, but said nothing further. Nora attempted to relax her posture, but she couldn't calm herself. She looked at Nick from her peripheral vision. Cigarette smoke poured from his cracked lips into the air. His yellow eyes were fixed on the lake, taking in the sight. Nora couldn't believe there was a time when she thought they were creepy. They were comforting, now.</p>
<p>"Groovy," she heard the Mister Handy sing a few yards behind them. She giggled, and Nick smiled, shaking his head.</p>
<p>"I remember when Nate bought us a Mister Handy," Nora said between bites of her tasteless food. "I was so mad - those things aren't cheap, and I told him to take it back."</p>
<p>"Did you?"</p>
<p>"No. The second I named him I knew I couldn't take him back. Codsworth...he was like a member of the family, after that. Even though he's programmed that way...I don't know. Felt like he was one of my best friends."</p>
<p>"There any machine you can't charm?" Nick chuckled.</p>
<p>Nora felt her face go beet red. <em>Did he word that poorly, or...?</em> She shook it off, knowing she'd be thinking about it for a week. Dissecting every inflection.</p>
<p>"I - I saw Codsworth. After I woke up from cryo." She was speaking quieter now, almost whispering. "He was the first 'person' I talked to. He told me how long it'd been."</p>
<p>"Where is he now?"</p>
<p>"I had him stay in Sanctuary," she sighed. "I feel bad leaving him alone, but the thought of him getting killed - I just want one thing from my old life to stay." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Is - is that selfish, Nick?"</p>
<p>He squeezed her shoulder. "No, kid. I don't think so."</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Nora and Nick spent the next few days cleaning up the co-op, scrounging for materials and fixing appliances. Nick, due to his previous experiences, was quite the handyman. He fixed the water pump, built several new chairs for the mess hall, and even set up a small radio station. </p>
<p>Nora was especially awful at building, so she left most of that work to her partner. One thing she could do, however, was scavenge. She managed to find and dismantle an impressive amount of material, most of which they set aside to help build the relay. She'd fixed up her cabin to make it feel more like home, and each night she'd hit her clean sheets with freshly-washed hair, exhausted but relaxed. The only thing missing was Nick next to her.</p>
<p>Their third day of repairs, two women rolled through. Drifters. Their names were Jennifer and Luann. Nora would watch them snuggle up by the fire every night. They were so in love, so content with each other, it was like they were both parts of the same being.</p>
<p>Every time she saw them look at each other, she felt heartache. She wished her and Nick could be like that. Two halves of the same whole. </p>
<p>She strolled up to Nick later that night, her boots kicking up dust from the cracked ground. "Hey," she said.</p>
<p>The synth pushed himself up to his knees. He had been lying on his stomach, adjusting something underneath the relay platform. "Hey yourself," he said. He grabbed his hat and placed it back atop his head.</p>
<p>"I'm gonna hit the hay soon. You need any help down there?"</p>
<p>He pursed his lips, glancing behind him. "Actually, I do need someone small who can crawl underneath there, run some wiring through."</p>
<p>"Well, I've got the small part down," she said, rolling up her sleeves and setting her own hat aside. Nick chuckled at her.</p>
<p>She grabbed the wiring, crawling on her elbows underneath the platform. She shimmied along until she she made it to the middle, shoving the cables through a small hole. She felt pressure as Nick grabbed them. With some difficulty, she crawled back out into the cold night air, shirt coated in dust.</p>
<p>"Thanks, partner." Nick's gravely voice shot an arrow through her heart as she tried to casually brush the dirt off. "I'll see you in the morning."</p>
<p>Nora felt her breath hitch in her throat, before she finally said something that had been on her mind. "So - um, what do you do in that cabin while we're all sleeping? I can't imagine it's super stimulating."</p>
<p>He paused his work, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "I sit and read, mostly. Sometimes do some repairs in the mess hall...why?"</p>
<p>"Well, I just - we've been traveling together for months, and I'm so used to being in close quarters that, uh...I don't feel safe, without you there." She felt herself starting to sweat. "It's...it's been so long, you know? It's a habit now, and..."</p>
<p>She cleared her throat. The proposal was as awkward as she'd feared, and part of her wanted to crawl into a hole and die. She couldn't even look the detective in the eye. "...Sorry, I sound like a fucking weirdo."</p>
<p>"No, no. I - that makes sense. We're creatures of habit, after all..." He looked down at the ground, fiddling with the lid of his hat. "I'll ah - I'll join you after I get this work done."</p>
<p>"Nick, I - thanks," Nora said, trying to ignore the feeling of her soul dying. As soon as she was out of earshot, she slapped her forehead and let out a massive sigh.</p>
<p><em>Jesus, Nora. What the hell were you thinking??</em> She groaned as she fell on the bed face-first. She felt Dogmeat's tongue on her arm as he settled in next to her. Having a dog was great, but it wasn't quite what she wanted. She flipped her gas lantern off, shutting her eyes. She knew it was pointless. Her blood was pumping so hard she could hear it in her ears. She pulled the ratty blanket up to her chin, hoping for some kind of comfort. </p>
<p>She heard light footsteps. She'd recognize those as Nick's anywhere. The loveseat groaned as he sat down, and she heard the sound of pages turning. The last bit of the fire outside made Nick's shadow dance across the cabin wall. She thought about how easy it would be, just to ask Nick to join her. Hold her.</p>
<p>She hated how much she thought about him. It made her feel like some lovesick teenager. He was on her mind almost as much as Shaun was, and that made her stomach turn. </p>
<p>Despite her reservations, having Nick in the room with her must have made some part of her brain feel more safe. She eventually floated off, still thinking about getting to see her baby again. </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Hey, Tom? I think we might be in business here," Nora said nervously as she rubbed her hands together. There was way too much grease on them to be comfortable.</p>
<p>It had taken them roughly a week of building and acquiring power sources, but the relay looked just about done. She stepped off the platform, next to her partner. He gave her a reassuring smile.</p>
<p>"Hm," Tinker Tom looked around, assuring wiring was in the right place, adjusting knobs, and flipping a few switches. He tapped keys at the connected terminal, a look of concentration on his face. After a few moments, he relaxed. "Looks like you did just about everything right, Charmer. We should be ready to fire this thing up whenever you're ready."</p>
<p>"Which should be soon," Desdemona replied. Her tone was as stern as ever.</p>
<p>"I - I think I'll be ready by tomorrow morning. Dropping by in the middle of the night might seem even more suspicious." Nora tugged a curl of hair absentmindedly.</p>
<p>Desdemona nodded. Her hair bobbed slightly from the movement. "I suppose you're right. And, if I may borrow you a moment, Charmer? I'd like to have a word." She glanced at Nick for a moment. </p>
<p>"I'll, ah, be in the cabin if you need me," he said quietly, and gave her a gentle pat on the back. Nora watched as his long legs carried him away, his coat fanning out behind him. She snapped her head away as he glanced over his shoulder.</p>
<p>Dez cleared her throat. "Charmer? Are you ready for this?"</p>
<p>"Oh! Yes, I - yes."</p>
<p>"You'd better be. The Institute is a huge unknown. And...I think it's time you learned about our most closely-guarded secret." Her voice was hushed, now. She ushered Nora away to one of the new tables Nick had made. "It's time you learn about Patriot."</p>
<p>"Patriot?"</p>
<p>"There's a man - or woman, we're not sure - inside the Institute who helps synths escape to freedom. Dozens of synths owe him their lives. We don't know his name, we've never had a way to contact him. So we gave him the codename Patriot." She took a deep breath, and Nora was surprised to hear her voice shake. "If your plan works, and you're able to get inside the Institute...we need you to make contact."</p>
<p>"How can I contact them if I don't know their name?"</p>
<p>"Patriot devised a method to communicate with us one-way. The plan hinges on us using this method to close the loop and contact him back."</p>
<p>Nora nodded. "I...I'll try."</p>
<p>"Tom's encrypted a message for Patriot's eyes only. Once he sees it, he'll contact you." She took another breath. "What I'm asking you is important, the very health of the Railroad hinges on it, Charmer. When you make contact with the Institute, you'll need to stay in their good graces. You need to infiltrate them. Can you do that?"</p>
<p>Nora was taken aback. How could she just stroll in there, demanding her son, and still be on their good side? There were so many questions she had. But the way Desdemona's eyes were locked on hers, she knew she needed to try. So she nodded, mouth dry. "Yes."</p>
<p>"You can do this." She placed her hand atop Nora's, and squeezed. "I'll give you a holotape tomorrow. You just need to plug it into one of the terminals. Now...go get some sleep. I'm sure your partner is waiting." She said it in a significant tone, like she knew more than she let on.</p>
<p>Nora stared straight ahead, dazed, as she walked to the cabin. She was on auto-pilot.</p>
<p>Nick turned when he heard the hinges of the door squeak. Nora sat down on the bed, lost in thought. Only when she felt his weight sink into the bed next to her did she snap out of it.</p>
<p>"What was that about?" He asked. </p>
<p>"I can't tell you," she frowned. "Dez would have my head on a stick. But...I need to do something for her. For the Railroad. And I need to...stay on the Institute's good side, for now."</p>
<p>He mulled that over for a minute. "You need to make <em>nice</em> with those people? Are...you sure you can do that?"</p>
<p>She looked down at her lap. Her hands were wringing together. "I don't know. I think I have to. But the thought of it makes me feel ill."</p>
<p>They were sitting so close, then. Their knees were touching. Nora swiveled her shoulders to face him, and he was already there. If they moved any closer, their faces would touch. Nora's breath hitched in her throat. Her pinkie finger was just touching his.</p>
<p>"Are you scared?" He asked.</p>
<p>"Yes." She was scared. She was scared of not finding her baby. She was scared of the relay killing her, ripping apart every molecule in her body. And she was scared of failing the Railroad. And, dumb as it was, she was scared of leaving Nick behind.</p>
<p>She couldn't stop staring into those yellow eyes of his. They sat there, locked, for what seemed like hours. She finally broke contact, looking back down at her lap.</p>
<p>"...You should probably try and sleep," Nick said, standing up and looking out the shattered window. "If you can."</p>
<p>Nora flopped down on her back, running her hands through the fur on her blanket. She said nothing. She was afraid she would say something she'd regret.</p>
<p>She managed to sleep, some. She tossed and turned for hours, anxious thoughts assaulting her brain with every little thing that could go wrong. Eventually, she was too exhausted to stay conscious. Her restless sleep left her more tired than ever. But as she heard the first bird chirps of early morning, she knew she had to be ready.</p>
<p>Tom and Dez were already at the relay, standing next to the platform. Dez was nervously tapping her cigarette, wedging a small rock out of the ground with the toe of her boot. Tom was mumbling to himself, pushing buttons and typing into the console. </p>
<p>Nick walked with her. Their fingers ghosted next to each other, occasionally making brief contact. They stopped at the same time, looking in awe at the crackling electricity shooting from the top of the relay.</p>
<p>"Status report," Desdemona said to Tom.</p>
<p>"We got activity, Dez. Not sure how long before it peaks. Now might be the time."</p>
<p>Nora's throat was so dry. She was shaking. She looked up at Nick. "I wish you could come with me," she laughed dryly.</p>
<p>"I do too, kid."</p>
<p>Dez handed her a holotape, and Nora shoved it in her pocket. "You need to get up on the platform. You can do this."</p>
<p>Nora nodded. Her adrenaline was running wild. Without thinking, she grabbed Nick's hand. It wasn't hard, they had practically been touching already. He said nothing, but he didn't let go. He followed her up onto the raised ground, and stood just outside of the platform, fingers interlaced with hers. She looked down at him - the man she had traveled with for these last months, seen every day of her life. The man she loved. Hot tears stung at her eyes.</p>
<p>"Booting up the scan sequence." Tom said from across the way. "Ready when you are."</p>
<p>"Nick, if I don't make it back - "</p>
<p>"You will." He said. He sounded so determined, so sure of her. Nora wished she had that confidence.</p>
<p>She squeezed his hand, hard. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "But if I don't...Nick, I need you to know, I -"</p>
<p>"Valentine, you're gonna need to step back! I need to scan her molecules in," Tom's voice was louder, now that the machine was getting louder.</p>
<p>"I know." Nick gave her hand a last squeeze before reluctantly stepping away. "I'll be here for you when you get back, Nora. I promise."</p>
<p>The knot in her stomach pulled so tight she thought she was going to be sick.</p>
<p>"All right, feeding our baby some juice. Let's see what she's got!" Tom shouted. He pulled a final lever, and the electricity cracked around them louder. A pipe to the left of Nora burst, spouting steam into the air. Nora's heart sank.</p>
<p>"Oh, man. Don't worry. That's... all part of the plan..."</p>
<p>"Do whatever you can to gain their trust!" Dez yelled over the noise. " Lie, tell them what they want to hear. Make up a cover story and sell it!"</p>
<p>"Aaaaand...<strong>NOW</strong>!"</p>
<p>A bright light surrounded Nora, and she felt the sensation of being pulled in two different directions.</p>
<p>"Nick?!" She cried out.</p>
<p>"I'm here, Nora!"</p>
<p>"Nick, I -" She felt herself being grabbed and dragged, while her head spun. Everything was white. It was everything, and then nothing.</p>
<p>"I love you."</p>
<p>And then, all at once, she hit the ground. Fell to her knees and hands. She made a noise of pain. Her head was splitting. She blinked the tears from her eyes, and looked up. The small room was painted pure white, half coated in chrome. It smelled sterile, like the hospital where she'd had Shaun. There was no noise, no draft. </p>
<p>She'd made it. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I found a way to sit and wait. And now I can't, your voice, your face.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Nick?!"</p><p>The panic in Nora's voice made Nick's stomach turn, metaphorically. </p><p>"I'm here, Nora!" he shouted over the noise of the relay. He couldn't see her anymore. The platform was a glowing mass. </p><p>And then, a sickening crackle he could feel rattling his teeth. The spinning slowed, and she was gone.</p><p>"Did it work?" he asked, a little too loudly.</p><p>"In theory," Tom said warily. "I'm sorry, man. There's no real way to know until she gets back."</p><p>Nick tried to calm himself. He knew she made it okay. At least, that's what he tried to tell himself. She'd be back. Things would be normal again. He began making promises to a God he wasn't even sure existed. <em>I'll leave her. I won't think about her ever again. I'll do anything. As long as she's back safe.</em> </p><p>The first day wasn't difficult. He busied himself with repairs, listened to the faintest signals of radio stations he could get to. He fixed up one of the cabin porches, so it no longer leaned to one side. He finally fixed the water tower, and the mess hall had indoor plumbing again. </p><p>He set himself down on Nora's bed, readying his supplies. He intended to fix the broken window in her cabin, before autumn turned into a frigid winter. Dogmeat shuffled up to him, and he gave some scratches behind his ears.</p><p>A glint out of the corner of his vision made his head turn. On the rotting wood dresser where Nora set her things, he spotted them. Her and Nate's wedding rings. </p><p>The realization felt like a kick to the chest. <em>She kept them here in case she doesn't come back. </em></p><p>It was times like that he wished he could cry. At least then he'd get some sort of relief from the pressure building up inside him. He forced himself to tear his eyes away from the rings, and focused as hard as he could on fixing the window. When he was done, he realized he couldn't stay in there any longer. It smelled like that soap she'd gone gaga over. </p><p>In the mess hall, he caught a glimpse of himself again. It wasn't his face. <em>No, it was. It just wasn't Nick's.</em> His cheeks were sunken in, gaunt. He often thought he looked like a corpse, pale and thin. He saw the scars that crossed his face like a macabre roadmap. Across his forehead, his brow ridge, a particularly gnarly one across his eye. He could remember that story as clear as day. His nose was crooked, he'd broken and re-broken it more than he could count. The deep, crescent-shaped scar that went from his cupid's bow to his chin. And, inevitably, his eyes circled to where his skin peeled off at the temples. It was a constant reminder that he was falling apart. One of those days he'd look like another gen one, all wiring and titanium. </p><p>He avoided looking at his reflection for the rest of the night.</p><p> </p><p>By the second day of waiting, he started to go stir-crazy. He'd run out of things to repair, and at that point was mostly just pacing. After a Railroad agent told him that was making everyone nervous, he sat on the wooden steps of the empty cabin, staring at the ground.</p><p>He wasn't aware someone had sidled next to him until he heard a voice in his left ear.</p><p>"Got a light?"</p><p>It was one of the Railroad's heavies. Glory, he remembered. A synth. She held out a cigarette. He lit it, without saying anything. She didn't, either. </p><p>He recalled Nora talking about how pretty Glory was. Her dark skin contrasted nicely with her white hair. Her sharp features and stocky build conveyed so much power. In a way, she was Nora's complete opposite. </p><p>Glory exhaled smoke from her full lips, and it fettered away in the breeze. She spoke again. "You're worried about her."</p><p>It wasn't a question. "Sure am."</p><p>"I think she'll be okay. Girl's tougher than she looks."</p><p>Nick almost smiled. "She is." And she was. Though she was a nervous wreck, and emotional as all get-out, she was strong. When something needed done, she did it. She wasn't hardened like most people were, then. She still had a pre-war disposition. It was refreshing, intriguing. And he admired that.</p><p>They sat in silence, finishing their cigarettes. The sun was just starting to set, and the reflection off of the lake was almost blinding. He could see mirelurks skittering along the bank. He remembered Nora's first encounter with a mire. He'd never heard her scream so loud. The thought made the corner of his mouth twitch.</p><p>"I'll be honest, Valentine," Glory said, snuffing out the remainder of her cigarette. "They sent me to check up on you, but I'm no good with this shit."</p><p>He chuckled, but there wasn't much humor behind it. "That's alright. Not much anyone can do, it's the waiting game now."</p><p>"You've got cabin fever, if you'll pardon the pun. You should probably get out of here, clear your head."</p><p>"No, no. I promised I'd be here when she got back."</p><p>She scoffed, drawing circles in the red dirt with her shoe. "We've got a radio here. Just take the bot with you, I can let you know if she gets back."</p><p>He hesitated. The hippie robot had already been reprogrammed by Tom, so it was plausible. "You'd do that?"</p><p>She shrugged. "All I'm doing is standing around anyway. Guard duty isn't all thrills when nobody comes by."</p><p>Nick thought about it again. He didn't know how much longer he could stand the wait, and he could use the time to check up on Diamond City. He thanked her, and shook her hand.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>He stared at the blinking neon signs of his own detective agency. They felt a little less familiar than he was used to. He smoothly opened the door, stepping inside his dark office. It always smelled of cigarettes and perfume, and somehow it comforted him. </p><p>He heard the click of Ellie's heels as she moved above him. "Hello?"</p><p>"It's me," he raised his voice.</p><p>The hem of her long skirt swayed slightly as she descended. She flashed him a warm smile. "Always good to see you in one piece."</p><p>She looked surprised to see the Mister Handy following him. Then, she looked to his other side, and back. She didn't have to ask directly. The slight upturn of her eyebrows told him enough.</p><p>"Nora...made it to the Institute."</p><p>Ellie held a hand to her own chest. "She did?"</p><p>Nick lay back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk. Ellie used to lecture him about that, but it seemed she was too surprised this time.</p><p>"Well...the problem is, we don't have a way to contact her. So we have to wait until she gets back. We don't know if - if she's in trouble, or even if she really made it." He was almost scared to say it out loud, like he'd manifested the idea with his words. "I - what if she never comes back, Ellie?"</p><p>His secretary gave him a light pat on the shin. "She will, Nick."</p><p>They let those words hang there. Though they may have been hollow, it was all he had. He watched the ash from his cigarette fall to the wood paneling on the floor. Ellie started shuffling through the case inquiries he'd gotten during his absence. The silence was familiar and comfortable.</p><p>"I think she's good for you." She said it so matter-of-factly that it took his brain a second to catch up. Ellie was perceptive. She didn't even need to ask how he felt, not about Nora.</p><p>"How d'you figure?"</p><p>"I've known you for a long time. I've never seen you so content to travel with a partner. There's something - something different, now."</p><p>He groaned. "I feel lost. Like I don't know which end is up."</p><p>"That's normal."</p><p>"Not for me, it ain't," he grumbled. He lit another cigarette, just to have something to do. These feelings he was having were so new. He'd been alive for a hell of a long time, he thought he was done feeling new shit. <em>Why now? Why her?</em> All he could do was frown. He shuffled through the papers piling up on his desk, but he couldn't concentrate on the words in front of him. They all lazily fell out of his head the second after he read them. </p><p>"You should try and rest."</p><p>"You know damn well I can't sleep," he said.</p><p>"And <em>you</em> know damn well what I meant," she huffed. "Lay down, do some diagnostics."</p><p>He <em>was</em> overdue for some system scans. He lay on his old mattress, feeling the springs dig into his shoulders. He suddenly felt bad for making Nora sleep on the damn thing. </p><p>A diagnostic scan was about as close to sleeping as a gen 2 synth got. You'd go dark, lose consciousness, and come back out a little less exhausted. Hopefully, with no weird internal hiccups. </p><p>He cursed whatever numbskull Institute scientist designed him. The ability to be tired, but not to sleep. The ability to feel pain and grief, but no way to cry. The ability to feel desire, but...in a form that no human would look twice at.</p><p>Despite his desire to rest, he just couldn't. He scribbled a quick note to Ellie before sneaking out the door. Sitting around just wasn't helping. At least if his feet were moving, he felt a little productive. </p><p>So he walked, with no particular destination in mind. The modified Handy whirred quietly behind him. Tom apparently made it so the thing wouldn't keep jabbering at him. It was a little sad. The crickets chirped around him in all directions, and the breeze rustled the sparse vegetation. It made him think about the trees Nora had tried planting at Sunshine Tidings, and it felt like another pang in the heart.</p><p>By the time he decided to actually survey his surroundings, he noticed he'd walked all the way to Swan's Pond. For such a pleasant name, the little oasis had seen better days. The water was a stinking pool, where some lowlifes had dumped their barrels of rad waste. Regardless, he sat at the white pavilion, and lit a cigarette. The robot hovered idly behind him. </p><p>With slight amusement, he noticed the back of the wall he was facing led to the entrance of vault 114. The first place he'd met Nora. The back of his mind was reeling with nervous thoughts. He threw his cigarette to the side, and kept walking. </p><p>What if she didn't come back? What if she did, but she decided to keep her and her baby away from danger forever? What if Shaun wasn't at the Institute? </p><p>"Fuck," he said out loud to noone in particular. He kicked a tin can across the street, and the resulting clang made him feel the slightest bit better. He turned to face the robot. "No new messages?"</p><p>"None to report, sir."</p><p>The robot's dialogue was set to factory default, but apparently the voice settings weren't so easily changed. The dissonance between its formal speech and its hippie inflections made him chuckle.</p><p>Brief as the humor was, it eased the tension building in his body. It soon returned as he thought about how hard Nora would have laughed. He sighed so long he felt like he would deflate and fly away in the breeze.</p><p>"Valentine?"</p><p>He snapped his hand to his holster, and whipped around. </p><p>"Oh." He relaxed when he saw a familiar tricornered hat. Hancock looked up at him from the outside gate of Goodneighbor, smoking a ridiculously huge cigar. </p><p>He eyed him, stepping closer. "You ever come visit me when you're not miserable and alone, Nick?" He ignored the robot completely.</p><p>The synth bristled at the accusation. "I was just going for a walk."</p><p>Hancock scoffed. "Sure you were. Come on, let me be your conscience again." he grabbed Nick by the shoulder and led him inside. They found a concrete bench and sat. Hancock took another drag and let it pass his cracked lips. He fished another cigar out of his pocket, and handed it to Nick.</p><p>They smoked in silence for a few quiet minutes. Then, Hancock looked at him with that crooked smile of his.</p><p>"So, you and your lady got in a fight again. Go ahead, dump out your purse on my doorstep. Again." </p><p>"No. She had to go somewhere, and they...don't much like synths there. So, I'm sitting and waiting for her. And there's -" he hesitated. "There's a chance she might get hurt. Or never come back."</p><p>Hancock lost the edge in his voice. "Ah. Shit. I'm sorry."</p><p>"It's agony. Waiting here."</p><p>The ghoul blew smoke rings up above him. The hazy shapes floated up slowly before dispersing into the wind.</p><p>"You've got it bad, brother."</p><p>Nick didn't even bother trying to defend himself. He was too tired. "Yeah."</p><p>"You finally nut up and tell her?"</p><p>"Not exactly."</p><p>Hancock groaned and slouched forward. "<em>Jesus</em>, man. And you let her go? What's wrong with you? You coulda been back in Diamond city fucking her brains out."</p><p>Nick blanched at that, almost dropping the cigar. He was used to Hancock being brash and filthy, but that statement took him by surprise. The ghoul snickered. He knew he was trying to get a rise out of him, but it was still working.</p><p>"I'm not..." he started, then gave up and tried again. "She deserves better than me. I don't have anything to offer."</p><p>The side of Hancock's jaw clenched. He threw down the last of his cigar, and snuffed it out with his shoe. "Y'know, I really tried. If you wanna throw a pity party for yourself, go on ahead. Or, you can man up, and try and find some fuckin' happiness out here. You've been miserable long enough. But if you want to stay like that, be my guest."</p><p>Hancock stood up, and walked towards the Third Rail without another word. Nick didn't respond.</p><p>He thought about Nora's youthful face. About the dimple on the right side of her cheek. How her nose wrinkled up when she laughed. The light sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks. The lean muscle of her arms. The sharp curve of her waist. The round shape of her ass. As if a knockout like her would be caught dead with some rotting machine. And yet, he couldn't help but imagine. He wondered if she would ever whisper words of affection in his ear while he held her. Or, maybe, if she was the type to push him up against the wall, make him beg --</p><p>
  <em>Jesus, Valentine. That is wildly inappropriate.</em>
</p><p>He looked around, like he was half-expecting someone to be able to read his mind. He finally stood up, deciding that leaving Sunshine was a mistake. He motioned for the Handy to follow him, and took off again. Hancock would forgive him, someday.</p><p>The first rays of dawn began to dance over the horizon, the last of the blinking stars were gone. The orange and pink lighting reflected hazily on the rotting buildings around old Boston. </p><p>"Any chance you can pick up the Diamond City radio station from here?"</p><p>The robot floated in place for a brief moment, followed by a Peggy Lee song quietly drifting from its speakers. The song was a little crackly, but at least the music was something to concentrate on.</p><p>Traveling was faster, without the need to stop for sleep or food. Yet he would gladly have traded it for Nora's company. He'd used to enjoy the isolation, the time to think. It was all replaced with a dull ache.</p><p>Eventually, the radio signal was too weak to catch, and it was quiet again. Aside from a small scuffle with raiders, his trip was largely uneventful. </p><p>He climbed the steep incline of the last hill, scanning for any sign of Nora. </p><p>"Oh, you're back." Glory looked up at him, halfway through cleaning her gun. </p><p>"She's not...?"</p><p>The woman shook her head. "Sorry. No sign of her."</p><p>"When should we start to worry?"</p><p>"I have no clue. This is all new to us, too. But it's almost been a week...hopefully, we'll hear from her soon."</p><p>Nick sat on the cliff overlooking the lake. He dug his hands through the earth, grasping a rough rock. He tossed it into the water below, watching the ripples spread out before becoming still again. Perhaps that's where his life was, a ripple crashing into the cliffside. And, perhaps it would even out, be still again.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The next morning, he poured over the blueprints Tom had let him borrow. They were for some sort of watch tower. He'd found the remnants of a pre-war ranger station, and began to search the ruins for wood or concrete. All he could really scrounge up were some 2x4s, but he lugged them back to the co-op regardless. </p><p>Predictably, he almost immediately whacked his own hand with a hammer. He swore loudly, scrunching his eyes shut. When he opened them, he heard a commotion.</p><p>All of the Railroad agents were scrambling towards the relay. It was lit up again, electricity crackling above them, like it was charging energy. There was a bright flash, and Nick felt his heart drop when Nora appeared on the platform. She stumbled, fell to her knees, and began to dry heave. Nick pushed past the small crowd that had formed, and crouched down next to her. He brushed the hair from her face.</p><p>"Nick?" Her voice was weak, her eyes glassy and bloodshot. </p><p>"I'm here."</p><p>He saw tears welling up in her eyes. It was then that he realized she'd come back alone. It struck him right in the chest. He didn't need to ask. He simply helped her up.</p><p>Desdemona rushed over to them. "Charmer! Did you manage to get in contact wi -"</p><p>"Ah, Dez, could this possibly wait a minute?" Nick asked. There was more edge to his voice than he'd intended, but she backed up regardless.</p><p>He held onto her elbow as he led Nora to her cabin. Her legs were a little wobbly. He helped her onto the bed, gently. She wrapped the fur blanket around herself, perhaps in an attempt to comfort herself. Perhaps to disappear.</p><p>"Are you..." he was going to ask if she was alright, but the answer was obvious. "Are you injured?"</p><p>She shook her head no.</p><p>"Do you need anything?"</p><p>"Water," she croaked.</p><p>He jogged towards the mess hall. Most eyes were still on him. The agents were all standing around nervously, like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop.</p><p>"She just needs some rest," he said to nobody in particular. "I'm sure she'll be ready to speak tomorrow." That explanation was all he could really give. It had to be enough for them. </p><p>Nora said nothing as he handed her the purified water, but she downed half the thing in one go. As Nick turned, he felt her grip his wrist.</p><p>"Stay with me."</p><p>He wasn't sure what she was asking, until she rolled over to make room for him. He felt his coolant pumping in his ears when he tentatively slid in next to her. He kept a few inches between them, but she quickly curled into him, chest buried in his collar. He heard a stray sob escape her. She lay like that, crying into his shirt, until he heard her breath even out. Still, he didn't move. He just felt her warmth, how perfectly she fit next to him. If the context was different, he would have been in heaven.</p><p>After a few quiet hours, she awoke with a start, eyes immediately darting to him. He expected her to jump back, or demand he get out, but she did nothing of the sort. She sidled closer to him, and they locked eyes.</p><p>"Is this a dream?"</p><p>"Not as far as I'm aware," he answered lightly.</p><p>Without warning, she closed the distance between their faces, and her lips met his.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Don't let me in, I don't know what I'd do.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fluff, fluff, and more fluff....oops.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nora pulled away from Nick. "I'm sorry, I didn't -"</p><p>Before Nora could say anything else, Nick cupped her face in his skeletal hand, and kissed her again. She sighed into his mouth, and pushed deeper. It was so different from kissing a human. Soft lips, but rubbery, less fleshy. His mouth warm, but not wet. Still, he seemed to know what to do. Their mouths moved together in unison, a beautiful harmony. She grabbed him by the sides of his coat, rolling him over. He knelt over her, so he wouldn't crush her under his weight. </p><p>They both pulled away that time. Nora's heart was beating so fast she was sure it would burst. A laugh bubbled past her rosy lips.</p><p>Nick fidgeted uncomfortably, and averted her gaze. "Was it that bad?" he grumbled.</p><p>She clamped a hand to her mouth. "Oh! No, Nick - you were great. I'm<em> happy</em>. I'm so happy."</p><p>He arched an eyebrow. "Is that a fact?"</p><p>She tentatively brought a hand to his face. She ran her fingers across his skin. His scars were mountains and valleys, the sharp curve of his cheekbone like a canyon. Their lips met again, his lips the smooth curve of a river. He softly pried her other hand from his chest, and laced their fingers together. She couldn't believe how good it felt, his mouth on hers. It was better than she'd ever imagined, because he was there and he was hers and he was <em>real</em>. When they pulled apart, she felt dizzy, drunk.</p><p>"Nora, I..." he huffed. "<em>Damn</em>. You know, I rehearsed this over and over in my head. But now, nothing."</p><p>"Rehearsed what?"</p><p>"How I was going to tell you - you are phenomenal, Nora. You're a knockout. You're smart, and - and you're compassionate, and..." he pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes. "Ugh, this sounded so much better in my head. I'm just - damn lucky to know you, doll. I'm sorry I never had the guts to say it."</p><p>Her face burned. She pushed up his hat so she could look into his eyes. "Nick...I've wanted to kiss you for a long time."</p><p>"You've been wanting to kiss <em>me</em>? You can stand looking at this mug?" He gestured to his face that she still had cradled in her hands. "I'm falling apart at the seams - literally. I'm just an ancient, outdated piece of machinery. The Institute's leftover scraps."</p><p>"So you're not factory new. Neither am I."</p><p>"I..." he stumbled on his words. It was unlike him to be so bashful. To Nora, it was irresistible. "I don't know how to navigate any of this. I have some of the original Nick's memories, but they aren't exactly the best how-to guides." He squeezed her hand. "There are eligible bachelors all over the Commonwealth. I'm boggled as to why you'd choose me."</p><p><em>Because you're perfect</em>, she wanted to say. <em>I want to hold onto you and never let go. I want to sit and stare at you and fall in love with you every single time.</em></p><p>"You mean so much to me, Nick. I don't want any of those other men. I want <em>you</em>. And if - if you want to pretend none of this ever happened, I understand."</p><p>He kissed her yet again, more frantically this time. She felt his tongue brush against hers. It wasn't wet or smooth, but it was an entirely unique sensation that sent a shiver down her spine. It was all sighs and whispers and smiles. She came up for air, flushed and breathing heavier. Her glasses had fogged up. He rolled over to lay next to her, and she decided to rest her head on his chest.</p><p>He grabbed his hat, which had fallen to the floor in the scuffle, and placed it back on his head. "I'm glad you have the courage I never did." He hesitated before putting a hand on her back, rubbing in lazy circles. She ran her hands along his tie.</p><p>They lay like that for a while. She felt so small compared to him, so fragile. He was big, heavy, all metal. He made her feel safe. And as he ran his fingers through her hair, her heart soared. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. It made no sense, but at the same time it made all of the sense in the world.</p><p>"Do you want to talk about what happened?"</p><p>She knew what he meant. It was inevitable that the subject would come up, but it certainly was a damper on the mood. Her words felt hollow, automatic.</p><p>"When they took Shaun, and killed Nate...I fell back asleep. I thought maybe a few years had passed. But - but it was so much longer. It was almost sixty years. Shaun's an old man now. I - I didn't get to see him grow up. He went all that time without me to help him."</p><p>"An old man?" Nick's eyebrows furrowed. "How d'you know they weren't just tryin' to pull the wool over your eyes?"</p><p>She shook her head. "It was him. He - he has my eyes, my nose. The same dimple. Even his ears - they were a little uneven, just like Nate's. I know it was him."</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Nora."</p><p>Tears spilled over, and yet she still couldn't find it in her to sob. "The worst part...Nick, he's the leader of the Institute now. He's the one who's been treating synths like slaves, rounding them up like cattle."</p><p>That revelation seemed to stun him into silence. Nora picked at the frayed edge of the mattress. She was simply too tired to keep crying. Nick wrapped his arm around her to pull her closer.</p><p>"I wouldn't blame you if you left."</p><p>"What are you talking about?"</p><p>"If you went and stayed with the Institute. I...wouldn't blame you."</p><p>Her mouth was agape. It took her a bit to reorganize her thoughts. "No. I can't do that. Nothing could stop me from loving Shaun. Nothing. But..." she blinked back the tears. "What he's doing, it's evil. I saw the way they treated synths. Not just the gen 1s, <em>all</em> of them. Like they were lesser. It made me sick. I can't just stand by and let that happen."</p><p>She wiped her face, and got ready to speak to Desdemona. About everything that happened. About Patriot.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p><br/>Nora returned to the cabin, and Nick was reading the frayed paperback again. He looked over at her when the cabin door squeaked shut.</p><p>"What's the plan?"</p><p>"I need to stay friendly with them, for now. Shaun arranged for me to meet back at the Institute on Monday, so we just have to wait until then."</p><p>He tugged at her forearm, and sat her on his lap. Her eyelids felt heavy. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck. Despite Nick's reservations, being with him felt so natural.</p><p>He ran a hand over her hair. It was a subtly affectionate gesture, but it still gave her butterflies.</p><p>"Are you still sure about all this?"</p><p>Nora rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. How long are you going to keep asking?"</p><p>"Until I understand what this hunk of junk did to deserve a pretty little dame like you." He tried to play it off as a joke, but Nora could tell he was embarrassed, maybe even scared. She felt the blush creep up to her face, as well.</p><p>They watched the afternoon sun through the window, rays of light broken up by dead branches. Nora wondered if she would ever see a real forest again. Somewhere the grass wasn't pale gold, where flowers opened to greet the sun every morning, where a chorus of frogs could be heard miles back.</p><p>Autumn had finally hit the Commonwealth. Everything was dry and dead. Afternoons retained the warmth and humidity, but the evenings were beautifully crisp. Railroad agents wafted in and out through the mess hall, hauling in brahmin meat.</p><p>"I'm way too old for you, you know." There was a hesitance in his voice, a quiet acknowledgement.</p><p>"I'm over 200, you youngin'," Nora teased. Her smile fell when she saw how serious he was.</p><p>"Biologically, Nora. How old are you?"</p><p>"I'm twenty-four."</p><p>He grimaced. "The most recent memory I have of Nick's, he was forty-nine. That's probably about where my head is. I <em>feel</em> that age."</p><p>She shrugged. "Doesn't bother me." She entangled his fingers in hers again. "Way I see it, you won't get older and I will."</p><p>"I have a hard time believing that doesn't bug you."</p><p>"You'll just have to trust me that it doesn't. My son is 60. Both of our timelines are all kinds of fucked."</p><p>He finally chuckled. The sound was music to her ears.</p><p>"Look, I don't know what's going to happen. I could die tomorrow by stepping on a mine, get shot by a raider, or mauled by a deathclaw. I think all that matters is that you make me happy. And - and if I make you happy, that's the important thing. Not you being 49, or what you're made of, or what time I'm from. Don't you think we deserve that?"</p><p>Again, instead of responding, he kissed her. When their mouths crashed together, it was like she was whole. His lips left a trail down to her neck, and he peppered kisses down to her collarbone. She shuddered, and a shaky breath escaped her throat. She was prepared for him to go further, but he leaned back, wrapping his arms around her waist.</p><p>Nora was a bit confused at first, but then it clicked. <em>Duh, Nora - you've seen dozens of gen-2s without clothes on. They're like Ken dolls down there. They probably have no sex drive at all. No reason to.</em></p><p>But it didn't matter, not really. She still could love him, and hold him, and whisper sweet nothings to him. That's what was really important. So she put her head back in the crook of his neck, sighing contentedly. "I could fall asleep like this."</p><p>He smiled. "It's not like we have anywhere else to be."</p><p> </p><p>Nora blinked awake some time later, and her heart sang when she felt his arms around her. His bright eyes moved to meet hers. He gave her that bashful smile of his, the one that made her knees go weak and her stomach flip. All she could think to say was a soft "hello".</p><p>"You keep nappin' like that, you're gonna ruin your sleep schedule."</p><p>She nuzzled further into his shoulder. "Well, then you'll have someone to keep you company at night, won't you?" her words were slightly muffled. When she held her head against him like that, she could hear the mechanical hum from inside his body. It was strangely soothing.</p><p>"Heh. As nice as that sounds, I don't think you should pick up the habit."</p><p>She stretched out her legs, which had been thrown over one side of the loveseat. She reluctantly stood up, cracking her neck. "I should probably grab something to eat."</p><p>"Would you like some company?"</p><p>She nodded. "Sure. Just let me get changed real quick."</p><p>Part of her hoped he'd stay and watch, but he excused himself politely and left the cabin. She tried not to be disappointed. <em>He's not built that way, Nora. Literally. Quit trying to be a creep.</em></p><p>She shuffled out of her vault suit, throwing on a frayed undershirt and a pair of men's pajama bottoms. They were both too big for her, but it was about as comfortable as she ever got. <em>Imagine what mom would say, walking around in men's clothes. She'd kill me.</em></p><p>The cabin door closed with a soft click. The synth was leaning on the rail of the porch, half a cigarette hanging from his mouth. They walked quietly to the mess hall. The awkward tension that had been hanging over their heads was gone. Silences were comfortable again.</p><p>Even in the few days she'd been gone, the mess hall had seen significant upgrades. The freezer actually worked, and the cabinets in the kitchen were half-full. She threw a can of pork and beans into a pan, lighting the stove with a match. It was a pleasant surprise when she felt his arms wrap around her midsection. He planted a kiss on the top of her head.</p><p>"We have a few days 'til I'm expected back at the Institute," she said. "Do you have anywhere you need to go?"</p><p>"Heh. I really should get back to the office. Paperwork's likely piled up to the ceiling." He still held onto her. "If, ah - if you'd want to take a crack at the ol' detective game."</p><p>"I'd like that."</p><p>She leaned back into him. Their height difference was almost comical. Every point of contact flooded her with desire. She wished she could have melted into him.</p><p>At the sound of a clearing throat, Nick hopped back about as fast as he'd ever been. Tinker Tom stood in the doorway, goggles half hanging off his face. He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Uh, sorry to interrupt. I was plannin' on grabbing a box of sugar bombs."</p><p>All Nora could think to do was stand and watch her food cook. She heard Tom shuffle behind her and open one of the cabinets. Nick pretended to fix something under the sink. </p><p>"Hey," Tom's voice made them both snap to attention. "...Congrats, you two."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's got an awful bite, it's gonna rise again.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter contains brief non-detailed mentions of vomiting, and some graphic content.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nora had breathed new life into Nick Valentine. That much was certain. Cliché as it might have been, she lit a fire in him.</p><p>It was easy to get jaded by the world of cruelty and apathy around you. He'd told many people that. And like a fool, he'd believed himself to be immune to it.</p><p>Sure, he still had compassion and a desire to help. But he could only hide behind one-liners for so long. He was old and tired, and at the end of the day he preferred to work alone. He kept people at an arm's length, put up a lot of walls behind his friendly exterior. Nora had cracked through those walls without really trying. Never had he considered being vulnerable enough to let someone kiss him, hold him, fall asleep in his arms. Not until her.</p><p>Now, with the wide cracked road stretched out before them, he held her hand, as simple a gesture as there could be, but still feeling like she'd peeled off every layer of protection the Institute had given him. That inner turmoil he'd felt over his identity was calmed. Not entirely gone, but he could breathe again. Because if it was one thing the original Nick didn't have, it was her.</p><p>His mind buzzed with questions. What was this to her? Would things continue after she'd succeeded in whatever plans she had? Would she leave him with nothing but memories of a woman who'd torn down his walls?</p><p>For now, they had each other. And he would have to be content with that.</p><p>They stopped at an abandoned roadside diner. Nora sat on top of one of the aluminum tables, placing down some dried brahmin for Dogmeat. </p><p>"Probably just a couple hours 'til we're back in Diamond city," she said lightly.</p><p>"Yep. Hope Ellie isn't too mad at me."</p><p>"Why would she be mad?" Nora asked.</p><p>"Well," he cleared his throat, "I - visited her, when you were at the Institute, and I kinda left without givin' her a goodbye. I was too wigged out by you being gone, I guess."</p><p>She leaned her head to rest against his shoulder. "Maybe if you buy her something, she'll be so excited she'll forget you did that."</p><p>"Heh. Maybe."</p><p>The road opened itself to them again, and they made their way along. Her boots crunched the dirt underneath them. Dust licked the bottom of Nick's coat. He reminded himself to take the damn thing in, get it really cleaned. Nora would probably appreciate it.</p><p>"So, I have a question."</p><p>"I may have an answer," Nick said. Their shoulders bumped together. It was like they had magnets inside of them, the way they kept connecting.</p><p>"So...I don't think I've ever seen a human and a synth who - who are like this," she gestured towards their entangled fingers. "Is this going to be like when I showed up at prom with that nice girl Genevieve, and we got food thrown at us?"</p><p>"A flattering comparison," he said with a furrow of his brow. "I'm not sure, but my gut tells me it's going to turn heads, reward you with some scathing comments at the least."</p><p>"So maybe we should lay off the PDA around other people?"</p><p>"That might be for the best, though it's not ideal. I'm used to the looks, the comments...but you? I don't want to put you through that." He sighed, the kind of sigh heavy with decades of emotions behind it. He kept telling himself the discrimination and hate didn't bother him anymore, but deep down, it did.</p><p>"It's okay, Nick. I understand."</p><p>He squeezed her hand. She could already read him like a book.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>"Welcome to the Valentine Detective Agency, how may I -" Ellie's deadpan words cut short as she looked up to see who had opened the door. "Nick?" Her eyes lit up, then her expression turned stern. It was a lot to happen in a short amount of time. "You should know better than to take off like that! I didn't even know where you went!"</p><p>He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, kid. I needed to...needed to get out. I know I owe you a hell of an apology. I haven't exactly been in the right state of mind to be makin' decisions. I'll make it up to you, Ellie. I swear."</p><p>She eyed him suspiciously. Her gaze fell on Nora, and a knowing gleam spread across her face. She knew. She didn't say anything, but she knew. </p><p>"Are we square?" He asked gently.</p><p>"...For now, Nick. Just be careful."</p><p>"Who, me? I'm always careful."</p><p>Nora rolled her eyes. Nick jokingly elbowed her, and they both snickered. Ellie couldn't hide the smile on her face. She returned to her desk, writing something down on a spare scrap of paper.</p><p>"So, you have any particularly pressing cases for us? I want to try out the whole detective thing," Nora said lightly. She patted Dogmeat on the head, and he barked in excitement.</p><p>"There is one that's been bothering me for a while now," Nick mumbled, shuffling through piles of papers on his desk. He talked to himself as he did so, a habit he'd never quite grown out of. "Ah. Here we go. Earl Sterling. He's a bartender over at the Dugout. Vadim said he hasn't seen hide or hair of the guy in weeks."</p><p>"The Institute?"</p><p>Nick sat at his desk and lit a cigarette. It felt good to be back in the detective's seat, and he was excited to see how Nora fared. "That's the word around town. But Vadim - he doesn't think so. Earl had no enemies, at least none to warrant up and killing the guy. My gut says there's something more here."</p><p>Nora nodded. "Alright. We should go to the Dugout, then. See if Vadim knows anything else?"</p><p>"You got it."</p><p>He took a drag from his cigarette, and stood up. He gave Nora a quick kiss on the forehead as he passed. He saw her cheeks flush pink. <em>Damn, she's cute</em>.</p><p>"You know, I always got the sense Earl was interested in me," Ellie said. "Figures he'd be the one to run off," she added dryly.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ellie," Nora frowned. "If we find him, I'll make sure he stops by."</p><p>Ellie laughed. "Oh, wouldn't that be just peachy. Now, go on, you two. Be safe."</p><p>"We'll try," Nick said as he opened the door for his partner.</p><p>They walked down the dingy alleyway towards the Dugout, a little closer than usual. Their fingertips would brush together, and it was like they were both in on a secret nobody else knew. It was nerve-wracking, but exciting all at once. </p><p>Nick got a few waves and hellos. Felt good to be back in a place where he was respected. Though, he couldn't help but wonder how far that respect would go. <em>It might drop off awful quick if they see I'm fraternizing with their own</em>, he thought.</p><p>The Dugout was always a little too warm, the smell of alcohol strong in the air. Nick brushed his hand against Nora's in what he hoped was a gesture of encouragement. They walked past a group of chatty drifters, and went right up to the bar. Vadim had his back turned to them, cleaning a glass. Nick cleared his throat.</p><p>"Ah, Nicky! And pretty lady friend. Welcome, welcome." His accent was thick and heavy as the air around them. Nick always had a sort of fondness for Vadim. He was a sweet guy, just had a knack for getting in over his head. "You're here about Earl, yes?"</p><p>"We are. Sorry for the delay," Nora offered.</p><p>Vadim sighed, his eyes downturned. "Ah, Earl. Gone just like that. Such a good bartender. Good friend. Oh, but terrible with women, mind you. Bull in china shop with them." He paused a moment, before looking back up. "Ah! I forget to drop off Earl's key. Here," he grabbed a worn housekey from behind the bar and slid it over to Nick. "I hope you find out what happened. Security does nothing but yell at me for asking about it."</p><p>"We'll find him, Vadim." Nick said it with strong conviction. Something told him they were going to crack that case.</p><p>Nora's boots clanged on the metal grating Diamond City used as pathways. The sun was beginning to set, and everything was bathed in an orange haze. She walked a little further in front, and he caught eye of the way her hips swayed as she walked. He made himself look away.</p><p>Things didn't fare great when they stepped into Earl's home. The place looked like it hadn't been touched in weeks. It was all haphazardly put together, made from rotted plywood and panes of metal. Beams of light shone through the gaps in the construction. A thin layer of dust coated most everything in the house.</p><p>"I'll start in here," Nick said. He began to shift through some shelves to look for anything out of place. "Why don't you check out the living room? Must be some hint where that boy ran off to."</p><p>Instead of going to the other room, he heard her footsteps move closer. She gently cupped his face in one hand and kissed him on the cheek. It wasn't something he'd expected.</p><p>"Well, geez," he mumbled. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but you're already distracting enough, doll."</p><p>"Sorry," she giggled. "I'll turn on serious mode now." She forced herself to make a face, and he could tell she was trying not to laugh. Regardless, she turned heel and headed for the living room.</p><p><em>Tools, tools, beer</em>...Nick shifted through the shelf, but wasn't having much luck. He went over the case details in his head again, speaking more to himself than to Nora. "Y'know, for all the talk, I'd put the chances of this being an Institute snatch job somewhere between zero and none."</p><p>"What makes you say that?" Nora asked from the other side of the divide, sifting though a file cabinet.</p><p>"Earl Sterling, local <em>assistant</em> bartender. Why not nab the bartender himself? And Earl had lousy people skills. Might score the Institute some points in the 'last person you'd ever suspect' category..." he shook his head as he moved into the living room, carefully checking all of Earl's trouser pockets. "...but why not snatch someone with charm?"</p><p>Nora opened the fridge, and made a noise of disgust. "He needs to go grocery shopping. Shit's definitely past its expiration date."</p><p>"This place hasn't been touched. All of this screams accident to me. Question is, what kind of trouble did Earl get himself into?" He checked behind the armoire, just in case, but there were only a few dead cockroaches.</p><p>"Hey, look at this."</p><p>Nora held a piece of folded paper in her hands.</p><p>"A receipt from the Mega Surgery Center, huh? Wonder what the good doctors have to say about that."</p><p>Nora re-read the receipt, and grimaced. "Facial reconstruction? Is that a thing you can have done out here?"</p><p>"Sure is. Maybe Earl wanted a fresh face, get in the good graces of some local bachelorettes." He opened the door for his partner, and they were back outside.</p><p>"I don't know if that would have helped. It's not a personality transplant."</p><p>Nick grinned. "That's the kind of work I had done."</p><p>Nora looked mortified. "No, I - that's not what I meant, you -"</p><p>"Hey, relax, partner. I'm joshin' you." Her cheeks were flushed with pink. He adjusted his hat, trying not to laugh. "Come on, we're burnin' daylight here. Surgery Center's just around the corner."</p><p>Another dirty alleyway, and when they turned they were in the center of town. People crowded around the noodle stand, drinking and chatting. The surgery center was built into the remnants of an old shed. It wasn't exactly the most sanitary place to get medical work done, but it had a good reputation around town. One of the surgeons, Doctor Sun, was busy washing his hands in one of the rusted sinks.</p><p>"Sun?" Nick asked. He turned at attention. </p><p>"Do you know anything about this receipt?" Nora asked, handing him the scrap of paper.</p><p>Sun examined it for a moment. "Ah, this is Doctor Crocker's handwriting. Earl must have been one of his patients." He took a sip of coffee before handing the paper back to her. "The procedure noted here is mundane. Low-risk cosmetic work. Crocker never performed it, however. Said Earl vanished before he paid."</p><p>"Hmm," Nick rubbed his chin. </p><p>"Do you know where Doctor Crocker is now?" Nora asked. She had an air of friendliness to her. It would probably come in handy. People were more likely to provide a pretty young woman with information than they were a decaying synth.</p><p>"Last time I saw him, he was getting something out of the cellar."</p><p>"Any chance we could have a look down there?" Nick asked carefully. Sun was known for his bad temper, but there was no way they weren't letting that trail go cold.</p><p>Sun frowned. "What does this look like, a - a public outhouse? Why would I let you two down there?"</p><p>Before Nick could plead with the man, Nora spoke up. "We're looking for my friend, Doctor. The trail leads to the basement. Why not let us go down there for just a minute? We won't touch anything." She batted her eyelashes up at him. Nick had to avoid a laugh. The performance was so obvious to him, but to someone who didn't know any better? She probably looked like an innocent damsel.</p><p>Sun's eyebrows rose up. He seemed to be thinking pretty hard about the whole thing. "A friend...? You can't be talking about Earl...?" he sighed. "You know what? Fine. If it'll get you two to leave." He thrust a ring of keys at her. "Here. But touch anything, and you'll be footing the bill."</p><p>"Thank you, Doctor Sun," she said, voice so sweet it was almost sickening. As soon as she turned, she smirked over at the detective.</p><p>
  <em>Maybe she knows more about this than I gave her credit for.</em>
</p><p>She crouched down, unlocking the heavy cellar door and pulling the hatch open. Nick took the ladder first, just in case. As he descended the ladder, the metallic smell of blood hit his nose. It was overwhelming. </p><p>Nora gasped as she looked over her shoulder.</p><p>The sight was gruesome. Crocker was standing over a surgical table, and what appeared to be a dismembered human torso. There was blood everywhere. On his tools, on the ceiling, on the floor. </p><p>He heard Nora gag. She was shaking.</p><p>"What the hell is going on here?" Nick asked. </p><p>Crocker turned quickly, surprised by the noise. "Naughty, naughty! You're not supposed to be down here!" he pulled a pipe pistol from his coat, breathing heavily.</p><p>It was hard to think of what to say. Crocker had literally been caught red-handed. He had clearly suffered some sort of break. </p><p>Nora shuffled up behind Nick, latching onto his arm. She was trembling, trying not to look. "Why would you do this?" she asked.</p><p>The doctor began to ramble, about how he was perfect, nobody ever died on his watch. Nick could barely listen. He wasn't capable of being sick, but he still felt like he could. He interrupted his rant, as calmly as he could. "Drop the weapon, Doc. Haven't enough people suffered today?"</p><p>"You - you can still do the right thing, Doctor. Think this through," Nora said. Her voice was shaky, but there was a kind of confidence behind the words.</p><p>The doctor lowered his weapon. "You...you're right. There's something I can do to make this all go away."</p><p>As Crocker pulled out the syringe, Nick shielded Nora with his body, turning them both away. They could hear the doctor gasping for breath, and his body hitting the floor. Nora shook, and emptied the contents of her stomach on the ground. Nick held her hair.</p><p>"Come on. Let's go talk to security." He held onto her as they left the basement.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>After they had made an official report with security, and had been interrogated accordingly, the two made their way back to Nick's office. Night had fallen by then, the moonlight washing Nora in a pale glow. She hadn't said much.</p><p>Ellie stood up as they entered, throwing her pen down. "What happened? Did you find..." she stopped short when she saw Nora's face.</p><p>Nick shook his head. "Sorry, kid. Ol' Doc Crock killed him during a botched surgery."</p><p>"Crocker? Gone as long as he was, I figured maybe Raiders or the Institute, but...Crocker? Where's the doc now? Rotting in some cell, I hope."</p><p>"He's...well, he's rotting somewhere," Nora said. Her voice was weak and tired.</p><p>"What do you...<em>oh</em>." Ellie's eyebrows furrowed. "Oh my god. I - I'm so sorry you had to go through that."</p><p>"I think she needs some sleep," Nick said gently. "We'll talk more in the morning."</p><p>"Of course," Ellie said. She turned out the light on her desk and headed upstairs.</p><p>Nora lay on Nick's old mattress. She was shaking, slightly.</p><p>"I'm so sorry I made you go through this, Nora. Jesus, your first case and it comes to this." He took off his hat and ran a hand over his head. "Can I get you anything?"</p><p>"Can you come lay down?"</p><p>He was surprised by that request. He supposed it wasn't the first time she'd asked, but part of him thought she was angry with him. Maybe she'd demand he never spoke to her again. He shrugged off his coat and lay next to her. She grabbed him by the waist and pulled herself into his chest. Her trembling subsided.</p><p>"I'm sorry," he mumbled. He didn't know what else to say.</p><p>"You didn't know that was going to happen." She sighed. "Before we...well, before we found Earl," she continued, pulling her face away from his chest, "I actually was kind of having fun."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>She nodded. "I assume things don't always go...that badly."</p><p>"No, not nearly always. That was - well, that was pretty damn horrific."</p><p>"At least he can't hurt anybody anymore."</p><p>He pulled her in, and they lay there for a while. The only sound was the ceiling fan spinning lazily in the room next to them. </p><p>"You'd think I would be used to the carnage by now."</p><p>"I don't think it ever gets easier," he sighed. "Killing a raider so you can live is one thing, but - an innocent life being lost...of course that's bound to hit ya. Wouldn't be human if it didn't."</p><p>He felt her soft lips at his collarbone. She left a trail of kisses, there, and moved from his neck up towards his face. Their lips met, again and again. He felt a distantly familiar heat coil in his stomach. </p><p>She pulled back. The soft moonlight shining through the window made her look ghostly, ethereal. He could see the redness spread across her freckled cheeks. He tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear. One strap of her undershirt had fallen down, and he could barely see the curve of one of her small breasts. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"</p><p>She shrunk into herself a little bit, avoiding his gaze. He knew she was self-conscious, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. She mumbled something, so quietly he couldn't hear. "Darlin', I don't have bionic hearing. You gotta speak up."</p><p>She huffed, hitting her head on his chest with a dull pang. "I said - you have no idea how sexy you are."</p><p>He opened his mouth, then re-closed it. He took a minute to process her words. "You been drinking some of Vadim's stash? That'll knock out a pack mule."</p><p>She frowned. Her face had gotten even redder. "I'm trying to be honest with you, and you accuse me of being drunk?"</p><p>"Sorry, sorry, I just - I know I'm a broken record, here, but I'm an old rust bucket. Half of my body has fallen off, or been replaced. I don't get it."</p><p>She pursed her lips, before sighing again, tracing her fingers across his skin. "This," she said. "Your face. That smile..." her fingertips traced his lips. "Your cheekbones, your scars. And your eyes."</p><p>"They're like staring at LEDs on a highway," he chuckled.</p><p>"If you keep that up I'll just stop."</p><p>He made the most apologetic face he could. She traced along his nose. "Your face is a little rugged, but it's...it's so handsome. It's everything I like. And your voice..." she kissed the nape of his neck. "Your voice gives me the chills."</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting that. But he wanted to hear more.</p><p>"Your personality shines through everything. You're the kindest person out on this hellhole. And - I love the noire aesthetic you picked up. The whole detective thing...a man in uniform, you know. Your body...Nick, you're so - lithe, and lanky, and your legs...wow," she said breathily. "I...can I stop now? This is embarrassing," she nuzzled her face into his shoulder.</p><p>"Of course. Get some rest, Nora. I'll be here when you wake up."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>And I, I still try.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nora casually swayed her legs back and forth as she sat atop Nick's desk, her nails sinking into the old cracks. He was thumbing through a stack of papers. She wondered how much he really could focus while his hand was on her knee. </p><p>Ellie pushed open the door to the agency, cup of coffee in hand. Nora expected her partner to remove his hand, but he didn't. His secretary obviously saw, but she had no comment. She must not have been surprised.</p><p>"Ellie, you have any notes on this Howe fella? The name sounds familiar, but I can't find any more info."</p><p>"Maybe," she muttered. She sat her cup down on her own desk, sidling past Nora to check one of their filing cabinets. </p><p>"So, you'll have something to do while I'm gone?" Nora asked down at him.</p><p>"The Howe case strikes me as just another extramarital affair," he sighed, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "Dull as dirt, but it'll bring in some caps."</p><p>"Where are you going?" Ellie asked. She was still shuffling through a manila folder.</p><p>"I'm expected back at the Institute."</p><p>Ellie tugged at her scarf. "Really? You're going back?"</p><p>Nora nodded. "It's the only way to take them down. From the inside."</p><p>She saw Nick's posture stiffen. His hand squeezed her knee tighter. He didn't look at her when he spoke. "I wish I could go with you."</p><p>"I know." She placed her own hand over his, and their fingers locked together. He turned in his chair, bringing her hand to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles one by one. The gesture struck her as being especially intimate. He rest his mouth on her soft skin, staring holes through the ground. It was that look he got when he had a lot on his mind. Ellie had turned away.</p><p>"I'm not sure what they want me to do...it might not be pretty. But I'll come back as soon as I can, Nick. I promise." She squeezed his hand, and his eyes met hers. That same brilliant shade of yellow. They both knew it was time for her to go. </p><p>She stood, grabbing her worn bag from the floor and slinging it around her shoulder. Nick met her, tangling a hand in her hair and crashing their mouths together. It was a more frantic kiss than she was used to, desperate and longing. His other hand cupped her chin. Instinctually, she placed her own hand on the base of his neck. He leaned into her, so hard she worried she might fall over.</p><p>He seemed to regain control of himself, pulling out of the kiss and nervously darting his eyes towards his secretary. He dipped his hat over his eyes, that telltale sign of bashfulness Nora couldn't get enough of. He cleared his throat. </p><p>"I'll, uh...I'll miss ya."</p><p>Nora gave him a warm smile. Dogmeat wagged his tail excitedly.</p><p>She fumbled with the dials on her pip-boy. The Institute had installed some sort of code on it, so theoretically she could teleport whenever she needed. She looked at her partner one last time before hitting the button. "I'll be back soon. Promise."</p><p>Everything around her flooded white. Again, she felt the pull. Several hands ripping her in several different directions. She felt the world spin around her. All at once, the spinning stopped. She managed to land on her feet, that time.</p><p>The Institute was just too...clean. The pristine white walls, perfectly maintained computing centers, and unstained floor. It was all too flawless, and it made it all seem so artificial. They were putting on a front. Scientists and synths walked the hallways like they were on autopilot, offering her polite greetings and pleasantries. The whole place smelled of antiseptic and it made her stomach turn. It almost would have been pretty, if not for the eerie feeling she had whenever she turned a corner. It was the uncanny valley, something sinister masquerading as a place of hope.</p><p>Shaun had his back turned to her as she entered his quarters. She felt sadness grip her chest. This was her son, her boy, her only remnant of family left in the world, and he was doing so much harm to the humanity he proclaimed to love. Nora could only hope there was some way for him to see the light.</p><p>"Hello, mother."</p><p>His voice was controlled, unemotional. She couldn't help but wonder if he truly felt anything at all for her. She loved him so much it hurt, but they were strangers to each other. </p><p>"Hey, Shaun."</p><p>He held out a hand for her to shake. Instead, she pulled him into a hug. He stood, tense, until she pulled away. It stung. She looked into his eyes, so similar to her own.</p><p>"Now that you have had additional time on the surface, do you see how the Institute compares?"</p><p>"I'm not sure what you mean," she said. She felt a frown tug at her mouth.</p><p>"You can see the work we have done here. How much we have advanced compared to the anarchy of the surface. We can save humanity, mother." He turned to the massive window overlooking the center of the Institute, sprawling green lawns and artificial waterfalls surrounding the pristine walkways like a warm blanket. </p><p>"Unfortunately, no advancement comes without occasional setbacks," he said. "As remarkable as our synths are, they can be...dangerous, without proper supervision. The superior synth mind and body attempting to wrestle with something approaching free will can be a recipe for chaos."</p><p>Nora chose her words carefully. She didn't want to sound too emotional, but she needed to see if Shaun was perceptive to her point of view, even a little. "If synths can think for themselves, should they not have the option to choose how they express it? They are alive, just like us."</p><p>His jaw stiffened. "They are not like us. However closely they may approximate human behavior, they are still our creations. When you see what I have to show you, I think you'll agree that we know what is best for our synths."</p><p>There was emphasis on that. Our. <em>Our</em> synths. Like they were property, inanimate objects instead of beings who could think, feel, love, hate. She couldn't wrap her mind around that train of thought.</p><p>"A rogue synth has taken over the raider gang at Libertalia. His memories have been erased and his identity altered. He believes he's a man named Gabriel. Under his leadership, the raiders have taken many innocent lives."</p><p>"Who erased his memories?" Nora asked. She was skeptical of the whole story. </p><p>"Those idealistic radicals who call themselves the Railroad are behind it." Nora's stomach dropped. She tried to remain stoic. </p><p>"Now, you should get moving. Many people are in danger, and a delay could cost lives." He ushered her out of his room, and she tried not to let the anger she felt boil over. </p><p>She wanted to scream. She wanted to ask, <em>this is what you want? To control these people who have free thought? Being a raider is shitty, but that doesn't mean every synth is dangerous. Humans become raiders, too, we don't run out and kill every person we see because they MIGHT be dangerous. </em></p><p>She thought of Nick. Nick would never hurt innocent people. He had free will, just as this raider leader did. But Nick didn't choose that life. And not giving synths the option at all...that was barely living.</p><p>She said nothing. </p><p>She could see a synth being berated down the hall. It made her chest hurt. Forcing herself to turn away, she thumbed with the dial on her pip-boy. Evidently, she was capable of using teleportation to return to any relay, so her options were limited to the C.I.T. ruins or Sunshine Tidings. The C.I.T. was closer, so with a heavy heart she pressed the button. </p><p>
  <em>I'll save you. I'll save all of you.</em>
</p><p>The flash of light, the nauseating dizzying sensation, the feeling of being ripped apart. She wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to that. She blinked in the sudden sunlight. </p><p>She began the trek alone. It felt vulnerable, alien. After having someone to travel with for months, being by herself was frightening and uncomfortable. Even more uncomfortably, she was left with nothing but her own thoughts. Nora's thoughts were not a cheerful place to be.</p><p>She turned her radio on, and a song played softly through the speakers on her pip-boy. </p><p>
  <em>I wish Nick were here.</em>
</p><p>A bullet zipped right past her head. She instantly went into combat mode, any other thought clearing from her head. She sprinted behind a low wall, ducking and covering the lower part of her suit in dust. She heard voices shouting, three distinct ones she could pick out. Gripping her rifle, she peeked over the wall, and spotted one of the raiders. The woman's bullet his the concrete wall with a crack.</p><p>Nora steadied herself, and aimed right between the raider's eyes. She pulled the trigger and watched as the woman's blood spilled on the ground beneath her. A shout rang in her left ear, and she turned to aim sights at another raider. She missed her first shot, cursing at herself while she cocked her rifle and aimed again. This time, it hit the raider in the chest, and he cried out in pain, collapsing. </p><p>She didn't hear the third raider until it was too late. He came up from her right side with a hard kick to the ribs. She landed on her back, the wind knocked out of her. She was running on pure adrenaline, and didn't even register the pain. Gasping for air, all she could think to do was swing her gun at him as hard as she could. She heard the crack as it made contact with his skull. As he hissed through his teeth, distracted by the pain, she kicked his leg with every ounce of strength she had left. His leg collapsed underneath him, and he fell. She pulled the trigger as fast as she could. The man's blood spattered on her vault suit.</p><p>She crawled back away from the body as fast as she could. Her heart was pumping in her ears. There didn't appear to be any left. She hid in what used to be a tiny department store, if only to not be caught out in the open again.</p><p>As the adrenaline wore off, the anxiety overtook her. Curling up her knees to her chest, she winced at the pain in her ribs. Those were certainly going to bruise. She took deep breaths, in through her nose, out through her mouth. For about the hundredth time that day, she wished Nick was with her. He was good at helping her breathe.</p><p>She knew she'd have to travel without sleep. It was too dangerous to be out there alone, a raider could easily kill her while she was out. She gathered herself, and set back on her path. It would take more than a day to travel all the way east to reach Nahant Wharf, and she was dreading the lack of sleep. Worse aim, more anxiety, irritability. </p><p>Autumn had truly began in the Commonwealth. A light breeze carried orange leaves down the cracked asphalt. Nora's boots splashed in small puddles reflecting the blue sky. The sun was heavy and bright above her.  </p><p>Guilt tugged at her chest. She knew she was doing it for the Railroad, for the future of synths, but doing the dirty work for the Institute was not a pleasant feeling. </p><p>She made the mistake of pushing past a barrier of thought she had so carefully avoided. Shaun was the leader. Unless she could convince him otherwise, she would have to kill him. Her baby boy, her only connection to her old life. The thought alone was nauseating. Would she even be able to do something like that, when it came down to it? She wasn't sure.</p><p>The sun slowly began to duck under the horizon, and she bundled up in her jacket. The cold chill did, at least, keep her more awake and alert. She fished out a bottle of water from her bag. A few gulps would have to satiate her for the time being. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It was afternoon the next day by the time she reached the wharf. Salty sea air filled her nostrils. Buoys bobbed in the water. The creaking of waterlogged boats and the squawking of gulls were almost musical. Exhaustion tugged at her eyes. Lack of sleep had began to make her head throb and ache. She was so tired it hurt, physically.</p><p>She saw a figure in the distance. He wore the same coat as the Courser they had killed for his chip. She approached cautiously, as he wasn't facing her. She decided to make her presence known, in case he was a '<em>shoot first, ask questions later</em>' kind of man.</p><p>"Excuse me, sir?"</p><p>He whipped around much quicker than she'd expected. He had his hand on his bulky rifle. She held her hands up. "You're the Courser I'm supposed to meet, correct?" He was actually rather handsome. His short cropped hair framed his long face and full lips nicely.</p><p>She hadn't noticed the dead raiders littering the ground behind him.</p><p>"Yes, ma'am. Designation X6-88." He spoke in a stilted way, lacking the natural rhythm of a human speaking. "I've already neutralized the perimeter guard. Just give the word, and we can start the assault on the main flotilla." </p><p>"Anything I should know?"</p><p>"Designation B5-92 is holed up in the shack on top of the up-ended cargo ship." He pointed to his left. Nora hadn't even noticed the bizarre ship graveyard. Rusted, half-sunken cargo ships and fisherman's boats had been tied together and connected with wooden docks to create a sort of stronghold, a circular encampment of ships and salvage. At the crest was the up-ended ship, onto which someone had built a series of ladders and wooden cabins. The ingenuity was impressive. </p><p>"Alright, let's go," Nora said. She was not looking forward to it.</p><p>Whatever raider group existed on Libertalia, they appeared to be thinning the herd. Only small smatterings of raiders stood in their way. X6 was deadly. His aim was scarily accurate, his speed unnatural, his raw strength terrifying. Seeing how ruthless he was made Nora wonder how she'd managed to take another Courser down in the first place.</p><p>She stopped to take some deep breaths. Jumping from boat to boat had caused a near-constant bobbing, and it was making her seasick. The throbbing pain in the back of her head certainly didn't help.</p><p>"Ma'am, there is one thing I would like to discuss before we confront B5-92."</p><p>"What's up?" she asked, trying to breathe the nausea away.</p><p>"I'm going to give you B5-92's reset code. If he hears the code phrase, it'll reset his cognitive processes and make him docile."</p><p>That thought made her feel sick in a completely different way. </p><p>"I - wouldn't it be more humane to kill him?"</p><p>His eyes narrowed behind his glasses. It was the first hint of a facial expression he'd shown. "It's not a man, it's a synth. A synth that's confused and dangerous."She began to protest, but he cut her off. "Ma'am, I can't force you to use the reset code, but I know it's what Father would want. I hope you'll consider that."</p><p>Father. It felt strange to hear people calling her son that. Like all of the other Institute members were her grandkids or something. She swallowed her doubts and discomforts, regardless. "I understand."</p><p>He nodded, and moved ahead. Two raiders were poorly hidden behind a wooden pillar. It only took two shots to take them down.</p><p>The pair ascended a rickety ladder, every step threatening to loosen the whole thing. The first platform had nothing but a small duffle bag and a few mattresses. The second ladder was sturdy, but long. The boat swayed and Nora couldn't shake the fear of the whole thing capsizing underneath them. The final entrance appeared to be a sort of trapdoor. Nora made quick work of the lockpick, and X6 climbed up first.</p><p>"Well done, very impressive. Just like me, you've made it to the top." The man she assumed was Gabriel clapped his hands in a mocking fashion. "You two look like Institute thugs, right? The hell are you doing out here?"</p><p>Nora took a deep breath. "B5-92, initialize factory reset. Authorization gamma-7-1-epsilon." She closed her eyes. It felt like a betrayal to the Railroad, to Nick.</p><p>The life left Gabriel's eyes. He went limp. He was still breathing, but he might as well have been dead.</p><p>The two men who were with Gabriel were screaming, confused. They hurled questions at her and X6, but she could only hear ringing in her ears. They didn't even try and put up a fight. Just begged them not to kill.</p><p>"Nice work, ma'am. I'll take the synth back. When you're done here, Father would like to speak with you."</p><p>She nodded. X6 muttered into an ear piece, disappearing with a blinding light. Nora didn't even look at the other thugs as she thumbed through her pip-boy.</p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>All she could do was apologize as she hit the button to return to the Institute. Though she knew it was the only way to earn Shaun's trust, it felt like her insides were being stirred up - not just from the relay transport, this time.</p><p>The exhaustion had fully hit her by the time she arrived back at Shaun's quarters. Her feet dragged behind her, eyelids heavy and unfocused. She was anxious, sad, nervous. The chrome door automatically opened for her, and Shaun gave her a warm smile.</p><p>"I'm glad to see you return safely. I know the task was difficult, but I needed you to see firsthand how dangerous a rogue synth can be."</p><p>She nodded. Her mouth was too dry, her brain too foggy for her to start trying to argue, not now. He shot her a look of mild concern.</p><p>"Are you alright, mother?"</p><p>"Just...very tired."</p><p>"Ah yes, of course. Well, the task is done and you've returned our synth safely to us. I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome." He gently touched her arm, and a burst of affection flooded through her. He was still her son. She smiled for the first time in days.</p><p>"While you were away, I had quarters prepared for you," he guided her softly through a hallway into a perfect, white room with straight white sheets and a big white bin at the head of the bed. White, white, white. It was just like the rest of the Institute. Meticulous and spotless in a hollow sort of way. </p><p>"Thank you, Shaun," she said. She pulled her son in for an embrace. He still seemed stiff at the interaction.</p><p>"You'll find all the basic necessities, as well as a generous stock of arms and equipment...do you like it?" He was eager for her praise, it seemed. Times like that made her mourn all the years he had to spend without her.</p><p>She let go. "Yes, sweetheart. I love it."</p><p>The doors closed with a whoosh as her son left her alone. She had slept in the Institute before, but it wasn't a comfortable experience. Everything felt alien to her, and she was under constant fear that she was being watched. The promise of warm bed sheets was too much for her, however, and she lazily tossed her boots aside before knocking out on the bed, still wearing her vault suit.</p><p> </p><p>She was swimming through a pool of darkness. She could see Shaun in his crib. He was so far, so she swam as hard as she could. Shaun seemed to go further and further the more she swam. The cold water was dragging her underwater. She struggled and tried to swim, but her muscles just wouldn't work. She sunk underneath the water, watching the bubbles escape her. As the last of her oxygen was gone, she woke.</p><p>Sweaty, sore, and groggy, she decided to peel off her vault suit and take a shower. The quarters Shaun had provided her had its own shower. The only positive to staying there, she supposed. She looked at her midsection.</p><p>The ribs were definitely bruised. The bruise would get nasty in the next few weeks. \She didn't feel anything missing, as far as she could tell. She winced at the pain.</p><p>The hot water felt nice on her sore muscles. She was excited to return to Diamond City. The Institute may have been clean and advanced, but it wasn't worth the pain. It did have Shaun, but he must have thought of her as a stranger. He didn't know anything about her, and she knew nothing about him. All she knew was that she loved her son, her baby boy, no matter his decisions. Those decisions, however, would have consequences. Bad ones.</p><p>Her thoughts turned to Nick. How he'd kissed her that night, his lips trailing her collarbone. A pool of arousal swirled around her lower stomach and threatened to trail downwards. She ghosted her hand over her sex, contemplating some stress relief. Thinking about Nick touching her made it even worse, and her legs felt like jelly.</p><p>She pulled her hand away. She still wasn't entirely convinced there weren't cameras watching her every move. She would have to stay uncomfortably aroused, for the time being. </p><p>Nora forced the idea out of her head, and stepped out of the shower. A fresh vault suit and some mild hair drying later, she walked to Shaun's quarters. He was slouched over his desk, scribbling at a scrap of paper </p><p>"Shaun?"</p><p>He swiveled in his chair. "Ah, mother. You were asleep for quite some time."</p><p>"Guess I've made it a habit, after being on ice so long."</p><p>He chuckled, but it was empty of warmth. It left them with an awkward silence. There were many unasked questions heavy in the air. </p><p>"So..." she cleared her throat. "I think I'm going to head back. Is there anything you need me to do?"</p><p>He scratched idly at his grey beard. "You do not wish to stay here?"</p><p>"It's not that I don't want to spend time with you, Shaun. But I - I have...friends, out there. People I promised to help."</p><p>"I see," he said. His expression was unreadable. "If that is the case, I understand. If you could return in a few days, I believe I may have a job for you. We are fetching the last pieces of intel, but I assure you it is of the utmost importance for our cause."</p><p>He returned to his writings, a quiet signifier that the conversation was over. Nora stepped into the hallway, doors closing behind her. She grabbed her bag and her rifle.</p><p>
  <em>I'm coming back home, Nick.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You know the tune, so the words don't matter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"No way, man. You're lying, and I ain't payin' you! There's no way Katherine would do that!"</p><p>Nick sighed. This was always the worst part of the job. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she's not coming back. Look, I'm sure this is a lot to swallow, and you have my sympathy, but -"</p><p>"Sympathy my ass," the pasty man responded. "You're a damn machine! I knew I shoulda found a detective somewhere else."</p><p>Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you want to take a caravan up to Lexington and ask her yourself, be my guest." Normally he wasn't so short with people, but that guy was really starting to get on his nerves. "But she's gone. Doesn't plan on coming back."</p><p>"Get out of here," he spat.</p><p>"Pleasure doing business with you," Nick responded flatly before turning heel and exiting the shack. He lit his cigarette with his skeletal hand.</p><p>"Another satisfied customer," he mumbled to himself as he watched his suede shoes kick up small clouds of dirt. Times like those, he wished he could drink until he blacked out. </p><p>Diamond City's trade square was bustling in the morning sun. Small clusters of people surrounded the noodle stand, some were browsing the trader displays, and a few were even lined up at the barber shop. The smoke leaked from the holes in Nick's face before tapering away in the breeze. He got a few waves and hellos, but didn't stop for small talk. </p><p>The door to the agency was unlocked. "Back early, eh, Ellie?" He asked as he stepped through the door. He didn't receive an answer. <em>Must be in the bathroom</em>, he thought. </p><p>He sat at his desk to make notes on the Kowalski case. Wife found, in Lexington. Went of her own volition. He was only able to let out half a sigh before he spotted something from the corner of his eye, a familiar tangle of curls hanging over the edge of the bed. He cautiously took a step forward, peeking into the nook.</p><p>Nora was sound asleep, flat on her stomach. He grinned like an idiot at the sight. Being as old as he was, he creaked when he moved, which must have alerted her. She turned over, blinking in the light. </p><p>"Nick," she croaked. </p><p>"Sorry, didn't mean to wake ya."</p><p>She shook her head. "No, I'm glad. I must have fallen asleep waiting for you to get back."</p><p>He smiled down at her. "Good to see you back in one piece. How did it go?"</p><p>"Too tired to talk about it. I feel like I got hit by a bus."</p><p>"Well, you don't look it."</p><p>She giggled. "You gonna come over here or just stand there all day, Valentine?"</p><p>He did as she asked. She immediately latched onto him, burying her face in his chest. "Mm, you smell nice."</p><p>"Finally washed these old rags. Figured I'd do you a favor."</p><p>She crashed her mouth to his, taking him by surprise. She kissed him with hunger and urgency, different from what he was used to. She licked his lower lip, and it made a chill run up his spine.  His hands moved down her side, and she hissed through her teeth.</p><p>"Sorry, Nora - I should have asked -"</p><p>"Oh, no, it's not that," she said nervously. "I - I'm a little sore."</p><p>He caught that slip up. "You got hurt? Do you need me to take you to the medical center? Why didn't you tell me?"</p><p>She huffed. The pink sprayed across her cheeks was very cute. "Because I knew you'd freak out. I'm fine, just a little bruising."</p><p>"Can I at least look?"</p><p>Nora's eyes widened. It took Nick a second to realize what he was asking.</p><p>"Shit, no - I didn't mean to sound improper. I just want to make sure you didn't break anything. I can have Ellie look."</p><p>"No, it's okay," she said. As Nick turned the desk lamp on, Nora hiked her undershirt up, enough so he could see her ribs. He gently touched one of the bruises with his skeletal hand. Nora jumped at the contact.</p><p>"Cold hands," she explained.</p><p>He was trying his hardest not to look at her milky white stomach, at the faded stretch marks over her hips, or at the cesarean scar just above her shorts. He forced himself to look away.<em> This is a medical exam, not an excuse to ogle her</em>. "Well, they're awful bruised, but I don't think they're broken," he mumbled. "Whoever did this got you good."</p><p>"You should see the other guy," she joked. It made him laugh despite himself.</p><p>"This isn't from the Institute, is it?"</p><p>She shook her head. "Raider snuck up on me."</p><p>"Well, all right..." he said, snuggling back up next to her. "Just take it easy for a while, please?"</p><p>"Won't hear any arguments from me," she yawned. She kissed him lazily at his neck, avoiding the areas where the skin had peeled away. He was sure if he had a heart, it would have stopped beating. Her lips were so impossibly soft. How could anything feel so soft and warm, out in that hellhole? She had to be a gift, a dream.</p><p>To his own surprise, he had to hold back a whine as she pulled away. The detective had to stop the pathetic noise from escaping his throat. He had no idea where the hell that came from. He tried to force the feeling to the back of his mind.</p><p>Nora dozed off in his arms. He didn't want to sit and stare at her. That would be a bit skeevy. He did allow himself the occasional glance, wondering what he did to deserve her. She looked so peaceful as she slept. Her soft snoring became background noise as Nick resumed his novel. She would occasionally fidget, curl inwards towards him, nuzzling her cheek against his metal chest. Moments like those, Nick forgot he was made of metal. It felt so mundane, like sleeping in on the weekend, or spending a quiet pre-War morning at home with a lover.</p><p>It had only been a couple of hours by the time she stirred awake. Her nose crinkled up when she smiled.</p><p>"Hey, there," he said quietly. "Feeling better?"</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his midsection. "Much."</p><p>Nick grabbed her glasses from the bedside table, gently placing them back on her face. He kissed the top of her head.</p><p>"Solve any cases while I was gone?" She asked, absentmindedly toying with his suspenders. </p><p>"Sure did. Dull as dishwater, though. Another runaway spouse. She dodged a bullet, if you ask me."</p><p>"Why did you get the boring one, after my first case was such a disaster?"</p><p>He chuckled, brushing a stray hair from her face. "You were a natural, though. Sorry that had to be your first impression." He leaned in to kiss her. She sighed softly into his mouth. Nora played with the stiff collar of his shirt, as they weaved in and out of each other. Nick could have sworn her kisses were made of med-x, the way they left him dizzy and giddy. He was surprised when one of her legs hooked around his, pulling him in closer. The coolant pumped so hard he could hear it in his ears.</p><p>They both froze as they heard the front door open. The click of heels and jangling of keys brought them back to the present. They de-tangled from each other.</p><p>"Nick, you back yet?" Ellie's voice rang from the other side of the wall.</p><p>"...Yep," he said. "Kowalski case is wrapped up. Like you thought, she ran off with a caravaner."</p><p>Ellie laughed. "I'm tellin' you, my intuition is second-to-none. So, how much are we..." she trailed off when she saw the two on the bed together. "Oh! Nora, you're back! Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."</p><p>"You're not interrupting," Nora said. She rolled on her stomach, her legs swaying slightly behind her. "Nick was just waking me up."</p><p>"Well, good to see you safe," she offered a warm smile and excused herself. </p><p>"What's on the agenda for today?" Nora asked.</p><p>"Not sure," Nick admitted. "Could take on another case, but I doubt you want to galivant all over the place when you could have a nice evening here." He adjusted the strap of her top, which was beginning to fall off her shoulders.</p><p>She shook her head. "I want to practice detective work. I'd be bored just sitting around without you."</p><p>He was unsure. "I don't want you to hurt yourself, you really should be resting..." His resolve quickly crumbled when those big eyes of hers blinked up at him. His sigh turned into a chuckle. "Don't think I can ever say no to you."</p><p>He spotted the blush spreading from Nora's cheeks to the tip of her ears. Seemed like that was all she did around him.</p><p>"Hey, Ellie," Nick called up the stairs. "You think it might be time to work on Marty's case?"</p><p>It took a moment for his secretary to reach the staircase. "That's up to you, Nick," she said. "He must have been pretty desperate to come to us."</p><p>"Marty was my old partner. He and I never really saw eye to eye. Mostly because he was usually passed out on the bar floor." He tried not to let the bitterness cloud his voice, but that proved harder than expected.</p><p>"Never had much luck with partners, huh?" Nora asked with a gleam in her eye.</p><p>"Not 'til now," he said. His thumb barely grazed against her palm, but he still felt the jolt of electricity between them.</p><p>"Oh, come on Nick," Ellie teased. "Marty wasn't all bad. Think of the good times."</p><p>"What, like when he quit?"</p><p>"That's the one I was thinking of," Ellie said with a laugh. She took a sip from her coffee, her eyes peeking over the cup and watching Nick and Nora. He realized he'd still been absentmindedly touching her hand. He knew Ellie was going to tease him about that for weeks.</p><p>"So what's this case about?" Nora carefully sat on the edge of Nick's desk. She was probably trying not to knock anything over.</p><p>Nick skimmed the file. "Marty found a note about some statue downtown. Written by the son of a guy named Shen Drowne. He insists it leads to some sort of stash. A treasure map, I guess you could say. Marty said he'd investigate down at Faneuil Hall. Problem is, we haven't seen hide or hair of him since."</p><p>"You think he got into trouble?" Nora asked.</p><p>"Knowing Marty? Almost certainly."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Nora shielded her mouth and nose as they approached Fanueil Hall. The entire courtyard was soaked in blood and body parts. Mutilated and burned bodies hung from pikes, huge fishing nets dripping with blood. Definitely the work of supermutants. The smell of rot and death was indescribable. </p><p>"Just keep your eyes closed," he assured her. He squeezed her hand, and let go as they finally reached the entrance. The building itself was in pretty good shape, considering it was over 500 years old. The walls were lined with ornate ceiling-to-floor windows. It was eerily quiet, only the faint crackle of the fire outside could be heard.</p><p>"Be on the lookout," Nick whispered. The two made their way to the second floor, spotting a few mutant corpses along the foyer. As they rounded the staircase towards the third floor, a bullet flew past Nick's right leg.</p><p>Nora grabbed him by the coat and pulled them both behind a pillar, bullets cracking and splintering the wood. Nora tossed a grenade over her shoulder in desperation. </p><p>"You sure that's safe?" Nick asked as it bounced on the floor.</p><p>"Ah, sh -"</p><p>The entire building shook from the blast, and with a defeaning crack the floor adjacent to them collapsed, and Nick could hear supermutants screaming as they fell. The two took advantage of the chaos and made a beeline to the roof access ladder.</p><p>"So much for taking it easy," Nora winced as she hoisted herself up onto the roof.</p><p>Nick shut the latch behind them. As he looked for something heavy to place on top of it, he saw the body.</p><p>"Oh, no, is that...?"</p><p>It was Marty all right. Pale as a ghost, laying on a long-dried pool of blood. A lone bottle of whiskey still lay in his palm. </p><p>Nick was conflicted. The two weren't friends by any stretch of the imagination, but seeing the lifeless body of someone you knew and worked with...it took something from you. Marty may have been a drunk, a reckless pain in the ass, but he wasn't a bad guy under it all.</p><p>He kneeled next to him. "I'm sorry you never made it, Marty. Don't worry, pal," he said. His own words were heavy with sadness, which surprised him. "We'll close this one out for ya." </p><p>Nora laced her fingers into Nick's. The overcast sky mad everything grey and muted. Dreary, befitting the occasion. They sat in silence for some time. Her hand was warm in his. He almost chuckled at the thought of what Marty would do, if he saw Nick romantically involved with a human. The hullabaloo would've been quite the spectacle.</p><p>Guilt wormed its way into his chest. Maybe if he had taken his former partner more seriously, he could have saved him. Just maybe. Far be it from Marty to dwell on the past, though. </p><p>Nick got onto his feet with a grunt. Nora followed. "We can stay longer, if you need to," she said.</p><p>"No, no. He wouldn't have wanted that." He removed Marty's watch from his wrist. <em>His sister will want to have this</em>, he thought. Nora gave his hand a squeeze.</p><p>"Looks like he left one last note," Nora said. She pried out the paper from under him. All it appeared to be was directions to Shem Drowne's grave.</p><p>"Well, normally I'm against graverobbing," Nick said, "but I think I can make an exception for Marty's last wish."</p><p>She didn't let go of his hand as they took the haphazard fire escape, or as they trudged down the cracked asphalt. Many unspoken words were held in her hands. Expressions of sympathy, encouragement. He felt the weight of the watch in his pocket, a manifestation of the burden. The last time he and Marty had spoken, it ended in a nasty argument. Maybe he'd forgiven Nick, maybe he hadn't. No way to know anymore. </p><p>A light rain had started by the time they made it to a small graveyard off the side of a road in downtown Boston. Nick scanned the headstones until he found the one they were looking for. Drowne.</p><p>Nora handed him a shovel. The rain had softened the dirt, so as he sunk the steel into the earth, it moved with ease. Nora bundled up under Nick's coat. He could see her shiver slightly.</p><p>"You can go find somewhere indoors to stay," he said as he lifted another shovel full of dirt and flung it behind him. </p><p>"I have to keep an eye out. You've got your back to the road."</p><p>He chuckled. "Thanks."</p><p>"Plus, your coat smells really good now." She swayed her hips a little as she spoke, and Nick had to avoid looking too closely.</p><p>An ancient wooden coffin began to show itself under the dirt. He brushed the remaining mud from the lid, prying it open with the end of the shovel. It burst open with a creak and a flood of dust. Nick waved the cloud out of his face, grimacing. Nora came to his side.</p><p>The coffin wasn't remarkable, neither was the intact skeleton of Shem Drowne. What stood out, however, was what else was in his final resting place.</p><p>"So, Shem Drowne had himself buried with all his treasure," Nick shook his head. "Guess some people just can't let go."</p><p>Nora's eyes were wide as dinner plates. "Nick, is that - is that real gold?"</p><p>"Not sure," he said, weighing one of the bars in his palm. "It's heavy enough, but I'm no expert."</p><p>Nora exclaimed when they found more bars, of silver and bronze. "And this..." she reached for a steel sword, and hesitated. "...Is making my Geiger counter tick like crazy."</p><p>Nick hummed, taking the sword in one hand. It was ornately carved. He figured it was probably worth some money. The issue was how doused in rads it seemed to be. "We might break the bank with all of this," Nick said.</p><p>"Do you know what this means? You could pay rent for years ahead! And - and maybe even get an expansion to the office!"</p><p>He shook his head. "Nah, we don't need all that. Tell ya what. I'll pay for the next few months of rent, and you take the rest."</p><p>"No, Nick, I couldn't do that. This was your case, not mine."</p><p>"Consider it an early partner's payment, then." He tossed the bars into her bag, and held it for her. They were too heavy for her to lug all the way back to the city. "You could use it to get your own place."</p><p>"Oh." He could hear the hurt in her voice. He panicked a little, speaking too quickly to sound natural.</p><p>"No, Nora - I didn't mean that, I - I figured you'd want a place to call your own, instead of sitting on that lumpy ol' mattress of mine without a lick of privacy."</p><p>"Well, okay," she said wearily. "But only if you come visit me."</p><p>He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to face his. "Like I'd be able to stay away from you."</p><p>Nick had heard the hype about kissing in the rain. Seen the old movies, read the old novels. Never quite understood the appeal in it. But he knew, then. There was something about feeling the water drip down his face onto hers, the sounds and the sensations of it. He never wanted it to end. The way her wet hair was clinging to her face, curling around her cheekbones. She was the prettiest damn thing he'd ever seen.</p><p>"Let's get you on out of the rain," he said. "You're shivering."</p><p>"What about the sword? I don't think any of the merchants in Diamond City would want that thing making them sick."</p><p>Nick rubbed his hands up and down Nora's arms, in an attempt to warm her. "Hmm..."</p><p>"Oh!" Nora snapped her fingers. "What about Daisy? She's not too far, and she could sell it to one of the Ghouls out there. They aren't gonna care about rads."</p><p>He smirked. "Good call."</p><p>They set off for Goodneighbor, Nick latching his arm to her slim waist.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You know the tune, so the words don't matter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You're kidding," Nora was slack-jawed, staring at the Ghoul in front of her.</p><p>"No jokes here, miss," Daisy said with a grin. "Suppose that means you'll be taking it?"</p><p>"I - of course, yes! Thank you!" Nora stared at the massive box, filled with more caps than she'd ever seen. Shem Drowne's treasure appeared to be more than worth their time. </p><p>Nick lifted the box off of the cracked counter, holding it under his arm. "We really appreciate this, Daisy. Not a whole lot of vendors out here who wouldn't try and rip us off."</p><p>The woman leaned back behind her counter, and gave Nora a wink. "No worries. I've got a few suckers lined up who would kill for a sword like that."</p><p> "Savvy as always." Nick shifted the box under his arm.</p><p>"Now you're just flattering me," Daisy said with a wave of her hand. </p><p>"What do you usually do after you crack a case?" Nora asked as they walked away. She could imagine the old Nick, sipping whiskey and watching an old film by the fireside.</p><p>"Whole lotta nothin'," he shrugged. "Not to put too fine a point on it, but I'm not exactly the best at celebrating."</p><p>Nora pursed her lips. "Well, why don't we go down to the Third Rail?"</p><p>"We won't make it back to Diamond City by sundown if we dilly-dally...but I suppose if you want to go...We could rent a room at the Rexford, make a little vacation of it."</p><p>Nora's heart soared. "Really?"</p><p>"Of course, doll. You seem keen on it, and I think you deserve a fun night."</p><p>Somehow, her spirits were lifted even higher. Maybe she could forget about her problems, just for that night. </p><p>The rain had stopped, and the empty alleyways of Goodneighbor were drenched in rainwater. Small puddles reflected the grey skies above. The slick surface of brick walls glowed with neon signs. Everything looked shiny and dreamlike. </p><p>"Times like these, it's easy to forget we're living in a wasteland," she said.</p><p>"<em>It takes great deal of courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it</em>," Nick recited.</p><p>By the time the two reached hotel Rexford, water had splashed and soaked the ankles of her vault suit. Nora fell backwards onto the bed. The mattress squeaked in protest as she stretched, and tried to hide her wince of discomfort. It didn't work.</p><p>"Your ribs okay?" Nick asked with concern. "I'm sorry we overdid it back at the hall."</p><p>Nora pat the empty space next to her. "It was worth it, though. We can do so much with that money."</p><p>The detective carefully rolled up next to her. "Money is the root of all evil." His tone was serious, but Nora could see the smile threatening to creep up into his face. "Don't go using it for nefarious purposes, now."</p><p>"Damn. There go my plans for that death ray."</p><p>She felt his laugh reverberate through his chest. The rumble was oddly soothing. His hand rubbed circles on her upper back. She could have easily fallen asleep that way. "You still want to go to the bar?" He finally asked.</p><p>"Only if you want to."</p><p>"I'd be fine anywhere, Nora. Hate to break it to ya, but you partnered up with one boring synth."</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at him. "Nick, I've met a lot of boring men in my life. You are not one of them." She pushed herself off the bed, rifling through her bag. "I should probably find something to wear."</p><p>"Why? You already look incredible."</p><p>She felt warmth on her face. "You're corny, you know that?"</p><p>Nora could hear the smile in his voice. "I prefer 'classic'."</p><p>"Oh! I still have Ellie's dress," she said, and pulled out the garment she'd worn to their night on the town. "Would that be too much?"</p><p>She was surprised to feel Nick's hands wrap around her waist. "Everyone in the room will be droppin' their jaws at you."</p><p>"So... you don't want me to?"</p><p>He laughed. "I'm not gonna tell you what to wear. I'd love to see the looks on their faces when they realize a knockout like you is with someone like me." He pulled her closer, and she settled into the crook of his shoulder. "It's not often I get glares of envy."</p><p>He really was a cheeseball. She crumpled the fabric in her hands. His compliments often left her too flustered to know how to respond. For someone so flirty and quick-witted, she unraveled very easily at genuine words of affection. </p><p>As Nora excused herself to change her clothes, the thought of him watching roamed its way into her mind again. Maybe he'd ask her to strip more - better yet, maybe he'd ask her to sit on his lap, have her decide what to do next...</p><p>Nora shook her head, as if the physical act would somehow knock the thoughts out of her skull. </p><p>She peeked her head around the corner of the bathroom door. Nick was on the bed, fiddling with the radio station on Nora's pip-boy. She sidled out the door completely, clearing her throat. He snapped at attention, his eyes wide as dinner plates.</p><p>"God damn, doll. You look...wow," he said, hiding behind his hat. "They are gonna be fightin' over you."</p><p>She twirled one of her brown locks around her finger. "I think you're a little biased," she teased. "Besides, you know I've only got eyes for you."</p><p>He shook his head, one side of his mouth curling into a smile. "Guess you weren't lying about having unconventional tastes." </p><p>He snaked an arm around her middle, and they left for the Third Rail. The bar and hotel were located right across the street from each other, so the walk wasn't long. Nora almost immediately got tired of those damn heels, pulling them off and deciding to just go barefoot for the night. A wave of cold passed through her body, and Nick draped his coat around her shoulders.</p><p>The repurposed subway station was particularly bustling that evening. Perhaps it was the weather, perhaps it was due to the weekend - either way, almost all of the tables were full. Nora could hear a lot of rowdy noise in the VIP room. So many people crowded the bar itself that a few drifters had to squeeze themselves in just to order a drink. Magnolia was crooning up on her little stage.</p><p>"Looks like there's a couch in the back we can snag," Nick said over the music. The crowd seemed to part for him.</p><p>The couch was dirty, but comfortable. Nora smoothed out her dress over her knees. Whether people were staring at her or whether it was her imagination, she felt eyes on her and it made her nervous.</p><p>Nick must have noticed. He caught her eye, and smiled. "You okay?"</p><p>She shrugged. "I...shouldn't have worn this out. I stick out like a sore thumb."</p><p>"You never know. They could be starin' at the toaster you're sitting next to."</p><p>Nora laughed, but the mood quickly faded. She stared at the ground, unsure of what to say. She picked at a burn hole in the cheap leather, flaking off in little bits. It was awkward, uncomfortable. The music was too loud, the lights too bright. The overstimulation on her senses made her head hurt.</p><p>"Do you mind if I go to the ladies' room?"</p><p>He shook his head. "'Course not. Don't fall in."</p><p>She laughed as she walked away. Truthfully, she just wanted somewhere quiet for a moment. Part of her just wanted to call the whole thing off, but Nick deserved a night out, didn't he? Or was this all for her? She sighed, pushing open the heavy door to the restroom.</p><p>Those lights were somehow worse. She spotted her reflection in the corner of her eye. Her hair was already coming undone. Her glasses sat crooked on her face. She leaned back against the tiled wall, letting out a deep breath.</p><p><em>This should be fun. Why isn't this fun?</em> She thought back to all the times her and Nate had gone out with friends. It was always a blast, they would get hammered and mess up at karaoke, drown their worries in piles of nuka-cola and sugar bombs. She loved being around Nick, doing things with him, so what made this different? Maybe she was afraid someone would see them. She was all too aware of how many Institute agents were wandering around the Commonwealth, ready to report anything she did to Shaun.</p><p>After a bit, she realized she should probably head back out. There was no use trying to hide.</p><p>She took her seat back next to the detective, fiddling with a strand of hair that was tickling her forehead. </p><p>"Welcome back," he said. The awkward silence overcame them again. "...Would you, uh, want a drink?"</p><p>Nora nodded vigorously. Maybe then she could loosen up. </p><p>He still wasn't wearing his coat. She felt her heart beat faster while she watched his long, thin frame walk to the crowded bar. Her face grew hot. How could he be so unbelievably sexy without trying? The way his shirt was tucked into his trousers, it hugged his waist slightly, just giving the hint of his shape. <em>Shame I've only seen him without it that one time</em>, she thought. </p><p>He returned with her glass. It was glowing a brilliant blue, so Nora expected it was something mixed with Nuka Quantum. She took a test sip - it was sweet, so sweet her teeth hurt, but it left the lingering numbness on her tongue and down her throat she was looking for. "Thank you," she gave a small smile over the rim of her glass.</p><p>"Not a problem," Nick said. Nora wasn't sure it was her imagination, but he seemed to be sitting closer. Indeed, their hands were almost touching. Both of them were too sheepish to try and make contact - not when there was no way to predict the reactions of the people around them. </p><p>Nora downed most of her drink quickly. She was feeling a slight buzz, but still wasn't having much fun. Nick had one arm over the back of the couch, his left ankle propped up on his right knee. He was thumbing a toothpick idly around his metal jaw. Looked like he was about as bored as she was.</p><p>"Nick?"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"...Is it just me, or does this blow?"</p><p>He started to laugh, harder than she'd heard in a while. The masculine smoky tone was intoxicating and infectious. Nora couldn't help but join in, and before long she was doubled over. She wasn't even sure why she was laughing so hard. Perhaps it was the whole idea of going on a traditional date with Nick goddamned Valentine of all people. Maybe how awkward they both felt. </p><p>"Well, if we weren't getting looks before..." Nora wiped a tear from her eye.</p><p>"You wanna get out of here?"</p><p>"Please," Nora said. "I think maybe this isn't my scene after all."</p><p>They exited the old subway station, and Nora was thankful for the crisp air. It was too warm and humid in the bar. The smell of mildew and cheap beer was gone, and Nora could finally hear herself think. "Sorry for making you tag along, that was a dud."</p><p>"Not like I had anything better to do," he said. He was watching the stars.</p><p>"Still..." she sighed. "I don't know. When I used to go out with my friends, it was so fun. Guess reliving the past wasn't a great idea."</p><p>"Nothin' wrong with a trip down memory lane. What made this so different?"</p><p>She frowned. "I don't know. I guess I felt more carefree back then. We'd drink and dance...didn't have to worry about the Institute, or the Railroad, or Shaun."</p><p>"Dance?" His expression changed ever so slightly. "Why don't you and I cut a rug out here?"</p><p>"Oh, no - I have two left feet," she scratched the back of her head. "Usually one of my friends would lead."</p><p>Nick tossed his ratty coat on a nearby bench, and held out his hand. "I can lead."</p><p>She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm not sure..."</p><p>"Come on, partner. Nobody's watchin'." </p><p>Warmth radiated from her chest as she took his hand. The red neon from the Memory Den shone on the wet pavement. He placed one palm on the side of her waist. They could barely hear Magnolia's smooth voice from below as Nick helped her find the steps.</p><p>And he began to lead, one step left, two steps right. He pulled her in closer as she tried her hardest not to step on his feet. She began to remember a bit, but the alcohol made everything slightly hazy. He raised their arms, squeezing her hand, and gave her a twirl until her back was to him. He spun her the other way around, and she instinctually took a step back. </p><p>"See? You've got the hang of it now," he smiled. He closed the distance between them, holding onto her waist again. He moved in sweeping arcs, not missing a beat even when she stumbled. </p><p>The world melted around them, and they were no longer in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The bombs had never dropped. There was no debris, no crushed cans littering the alley. There were no threats of an underground group intending on ending the surface world. Radiation hadn't seeped through the pores of every living thing. All that remained was Nick and Nora, the places where their skin touched, the wind blowing through Nora's hair. </p><p>As Nick dipped her low to the ground, he kissed her. With her eyes closed, she could pretend they were the only two people in the world. For that brief moment, everything was going to be okay.</p><p>When he pulled back, her eyes fluttered open. The moonlight cast shadows on his scarred face. She smiled, her heart threatening to beat right out of her chest. He still had hold of her, and she could feel the back of her hair threatening to touch the wet ground below them.</p><p>"Not bad," Hancock's raspy voice chimed in from behind them. Nick almost dropped her from surprise, and Nora just about jumped out of her skin. "Can I expect to see the matinee tomorrow?"</p><p>Nick quickly lifted her, and they stood next to each other in awkward silence. Hancock was laughing under his breath. His bodyguard - Nora never caught her name - crossed her arms, thoroughly unimpressed.</p><p>"You certainly have a talent for ruining the mood, John," Nick folded his own arms across his chest. </p><p>Nora felt Hancock's eyes on her, and suddenly felt very bashful. She scooched closer to her partner, sinking into herself.</p><p>The mayor placed a hand on his own chest. "It <em>is</em> a gift. 'Bout time you two got together. I was thinking about starting a betting pool."</p><p>"Now, listen," Nick's voice was suddenly very commanding and very dark. It was so unlike him it almost scared her. "Don't you go flapping your gums about this, Hancock. If you -"</p><p>"Hey, hey, relax, Valentine," he placed a hand on the synth's shoulder. "I'm good at keepin' secrets, you know that. No need to go all bad cop on me." </p><p>Nick backed down, but snaked a protective arm around Nora.</p><p>"I think it's cute you finally found someone, detective," he said with that lopsided grin, "But that's not why I'm here. I had a proposition for you."</p><p>As Nick opened his mouth to protest, Hancock cut him off. "And no, don't worry your pretty little head, this is not a proposition for a threesome - though, obviously, the offer is open." Nora felt her eyes widen at the thought. "We actually have a little mystery going on, and I think you two would be perfect for the job."</p><p>Nick seemed to be mulling it over. "That's up to Nora."</p><p>"Hm," Nora felt small and timid. "I guess it depends on what the job is."</p><p>"Listen - let's all meet up tomorrow morning. It's late, and I can tell you two are, uh," he clicked his tongue, "...busy. Come by the state house, we can discuss details and payment." His voice changed to an overly loud mock-whisper. "And don't tell anyone this, but I make a mean omelette."</p><p>Nick snorted. Nora felt a smile creeping up to her own face. "I can't see the harm in it, right, Nick?"</p><p>"Sure, sure." He seemed to have relaxed quite a bit, but there was still a subtle tension in his jaw. "Tomorrow morning, then."</p><p>"Have a good evening, folks," Hancock said with a wave and a toothy grin before he turned heel and headed towards the bar.</p><p>Nora was quiet as they made their way back to the Rexford. Her head was filled with a pleasant buzz, her eyes a little unfocused. She rolled onto the mattress with a deep sigh. Nick peeled his coat off her, setting it on one of the armchairs. He undid his tie before sidling in next to his partner. </p><p>She snuggled into his warmth, pulling the ratty sheet up to her chin. "Where did you learn to dance?"</p><p>He curled a hand around her shoulder, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Not sure. Far as I can tell, it's something the original Nick already had in him."</p><p>"Well, wherever it came from, it was wonderful." she inhaled his scent, closing her eyes. "Can I ask...what's with you and Hancock?"</p><p>He shifted. "Not sure what you mean."</p><p>"You seem like you're friends, but...I don't know. It's strange." Perhaps she'd imagined the underlying tension between them.</p><p>"Ah, well...we've worked together, a handful of times. He's got a knack for getting in sticky situations. One night got a little...heavy, I suppose. We kissed." He cleared his throat. "I told him it wasn't a good idea, and...that was it."</p><p>"Oh, that's all?"</p><p>He shrugged. "Things ended on a strange note for us, guess you could say. I hope you're not mad."</p><p>"Why would I be?"</p><p>His sigh turned into a laugh. "Hell if I know, anymore."</p><p>She could feel herself drifting off, but she had the urge to ask one more question. </p><p>"Nick?"</p><p>"Somethin' on your mind?"</p><p>"I - do you ever wonder what it would be like, if...if we met in a different place? A different life?"</p><p>"More than I care to admit."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know the updates are slowing down, I apologize. The US is falling apart and I am a mess!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nick had always been more of an introvert. He enjoyed his peace and quiet, a nice long stretch of road to just relax and think. Some of his best ideas and breakthroughs came to him from mulling over the thoughts floating around in his skull.</p><p>Despite this, he was always a little eager to hear Nora stir into consciousness. Humans slept too damn much. A few hours to think alone was nice, but often, he'd run out of genuine things to contemplate. Bouncing musings and jokes off each other was one of the highlights of his day. </p><p>He felt her stretch and yawn next to him. She wrapped her arms around his middle and sighed. </p><p>"Morning, sunshine," he said softly.</p><p>"I'm not awake," she whined, burying her face into his side. </p><p>"Oh, my mistake. Guess I'll have to go see Hancock alone."</p><p>"Alright, alright," she said. Her voice was muffled by his coat. "Give me...ten minutes to wake up."</p><p>He chuckled, and tried to run a hand through her hair. Her curls were a bit too much, so he awkwardly detangled his fingers. Nora laughed beneath him.</p><p>"My hair is way too messy for that. Sorry, Valentine."</p><p>It didn't matter. Being with Nora made him feel like he was walking on air - the benefits outweighed some bedhead.</p><p>She lazily dragged herself out of bed, mumbling about showering. He heard water hit the raggedy curtain, and begin to run down the drain. </p><p>He couldn't help but wonder to himself again. What exactly were they doing? It was certainly romantic in nature. Was this a relationship? Was he just some distraction for her? Were they exclusive, or was this a casual thing?</p><p><em>Not again</em>, he chastised himself. <em>She's obviously your gal. You're together. Labels don't matter.</em></p><p>The spray of the shower became white noise. The pattern on the peeled, yellowed wallpaper began to swirl. He could hear the clinking of metal on porcelain, and the background conversations of strangers. He blinked.</p><p>
  <em>He was at the department's annual celebration dinner. He sipped at his white wine as the pianist began a new song. He adjusted his tie. Suits never felt quite right.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Nicky?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hm?" His attention snapped to Michael and his wife. Their faces were warping, expanding and contracting in a blur.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"May I take your order, sir?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Shit, sorry," Nick said. He handed the waiter his menu. "I'll just have the steak."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"And how would you like that cooked?" The waiter looked at him with bright teeth, but no eyes, no nose.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Ah, medium-rare. Thanks, pal."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Of course," he said with a polite smile.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You been distracted lately, kid." Michael scratched at his grey temples. "Gotta keep your eye on the ball. That promotion's coming up, you know."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nick sighed. "I know, Mike. Don't know where my head's been lately." He gently slid his thumb along the box in his pocket. Hopefully, it would be soon. He felt Jenny's hand touch his.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He turned to look at her, but her face was a mass of scribbled lines and squares. He opened his mouth to say something, and everything went white.</em>
</p><p>"Nick?" Nora's panicked voice cut through the emptiness. He blinked, and he was back in the Commonwealth. "Nick, are you okay?"</p><p>"Sorry, partner," he mumbled, blinking harder like it would remove him from the mental fog. "Another memory." He felt a tightness in his throat that would have not been physically possible.</p><p>Her sopping hair clung to her neck and shoulders, her eyebrows creased with worry. "Are you okay?"</p><p>"Sure," he lied. "Just need a sec to get back on my feet. Didn't mean to worry you none."</p><p>"Hm, okay," she replied, but didn't sound quite convinced herself. "Take all the time you need." She touched his knee and moved her thumbs in comforting circles. </p><p>He'd fallen for her, and he knew it. He never knew he could feel so strongly for one person. Jenny would always have a place in his heart, but he could feel the memories slipping away. He'd forgotten her face, her voice, her smell, a decade ago. But Nora was real, and she was there. He had to focus on that and that alone.</p><p>He leaned forward to kiss her, and she flinched in surprise before returning the gesture. Her mouth was just so unbelievably warm, soft, inviting. If only he had taste buds..he imagined her being just the right amount of sweet. Her hot breath teased at his tongue.</p><p>Looking up with a half-smile and flushed cheeks, her eyes wandered past his face and out through the window. "Hancock's never gonna let us hear the end of this."</p><p>A chuckle formed in his throat. "When you're right, you're right."</p><p>"What are the odds he actually has some business for us?" She asked, zipping her vault suit up to her neck. He tried not to linger on the way the material hugged her waist, the slope widening to her magnificent hips.</p><p>"I'd place 'em at around 50/50," he said, peeling his eyes away. He felt like a pervert, ogling her. "You never know with that man."</p><p>"Might as well hear him out," she tossed Nick his keys, and he stuffed them in his pocket. "And if he tries any funny business, I can - hm," she stopped and made a face, "actually, would that work?"</p><p>"Would what work?"</p><p>"If I kicked him in the balls. Do ghouls even have...?"</p><p>Nick laughed. "They sure do."</p><p>"You know that from experience?"</p><p>He rolled his eyes. "<em>No</em>, but Hancock likes to give out way too much information." He held the door open for Nora, and they stepped out into the musty hallway.</p><p>"Hard to believe you two ever got along," Nora remarked as she handed their room key to the front desk. </p><p>"He may be a reckless hedonist, but he <em>is</em> good in the field," Nick shrugged. The fact that he was easy on the eyes was a bit of a perk, if he was being honest.</p><p>The Old State House was more or less a straight line across the street from the Rexford. The huge, weather-worn brick building was almost impressive in that it was still standing after centuries. It was a shock Hancock hadn't accidentally burned it to the ground. Nick walked right in, nodding at the patrolling neighborhood watch. </p><p>Nora took a look around, eyes wide. The place was likely locked off to the general public in her time, as were a lot of historical landmarks. Now it just served as Hancock's headquarters and housed some of his shadier friends.</p><p>"Well, the detectives finally decided to show!" Hancock exclaimed from the spiral staircase. For someone so loud, he sure did make a habit of sneaking up on people. "Farenheit, you owe me five caps." His bodyguard barely smirked before fishing the money from her pocket.</p><p>"Morning, Hancock," Nora said. She was using that bright, chipper tone she tended to use when trying to negotiate with people.</p><p>"Mornin', sweetheart," he schmoozed. "Why don't we take this conversation to one of the break rooms?"</p><p>Farenheit stood outside as Hancock ushered the other two into a spacious conference room. It was mostly empty, save for a few chairs and file cabinets. </p><p>"You, uh, want anything? Coffee, sweet roll?" the ghoul asked as he sat back in one of the armchairs, leaning and spreading his legs apart. <em>He even sits like a douchebag</em>.</p><p>Nora politely declined. </p><p>"Straight to business, eh? Suit yourselves," he said dismissively. "Well," his voice suddenly became deeper, a lot more serious. It wasn't often Nick saw him like that. "I do have a job for you two. See, a while back, I was, uh...<em>friends</em> with a guy named Harris. He worked the neighborhood watch here for a long time. Unfortunately, we found out too late he had cancer. It sucked to lose him, let me tell you."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Nora said quietly.</p><p>"Thanks, but the story doesn't quite end there," he continued. "He had a daughter. Girl named Annie. She can't be older than, what, sixteen? Seventeen?" He took a drag of his cigarette. "Anyway, before Harris died, he asked me to make sure she grew up all right. So I've been checking in on her, making sure she's in one piece, you know. Kinda like a niece or somethin'. Only...she's gone missing."</p><p>The tone of his voice had dropped off. He was genuinely worried about that girl. Nick realized this might actually be a chance to do something serious. </p><p>"She has a tendency to leave town every now and then. Her dad's death hit her real hard. I can't exactly stop her - my hands are full as it is. But she's never been gone this long. I'm - I'm worried, Valentine. I'm not gonna be able to sleep quite right unless I know she's okay. Even if she doesn't want to live here anymore, I need to know she's somewhere safe, you feel me?"</p><p>"I do, John." Nick actually felt remorse for giving him a hard time. It could be hard to remember Hancock felt emotions. "Of course we'll help."</p><p>"We'll find her," Nora said. The determination in her voice was admirable. "Nick's the best there is."</p><p>"I know he is." He got up from the chair with a grunt, and clasped a mottled hand on Nick's shoulder. "Thanks, brother. This...well, it means a lot to me." He turned his attention to Nora. "You, too, sister." He gave her a surprisingly professional handshake.</p><p>"Do you have any idea where she could have gone?"</p><p>"'Fraid not, but I bet someone does. She used to hang around the Memory Den a lot, one of the regulars probably knows somethin'."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>After questioning a few of the drifters in the Memory Den, they were able to narrow down her possible location. Apparently, being in Goodneighbor was too painful for Annie. It reminded her too much of her father. Nick couldn't blame her for that.</p><p>She had headed for one of the few vaults still functional after all those years, Vault 81. It was a few hours trek from Goodneighbor, but without people around he was free to lace his fingers between Nora's. Her hand was so tiny compared to his. Well, she was just tiny in general.</p><p>"You're okay with going in another vault?" he asked.</p><p>"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"</p><p>He cleared his throat. "Just figured you might not have the best association with 'em, you know."</p><p>She paused, like she hadn't considered the idea. "I don't really have any memories of 111. I was only there for a few minutes before we froze. I'm kind of curious to see what a working vault looks like, actually."</p><p>"Hopefully they won't be too anti-synth," Nick felt himself frown. </p><p>"If they are, I'll have a few words with 'em," Nora emphasized her words by holding up a fist. The sight was so non-intimidating it made Nick start to chuckle.</p><p>She subtly let go of his hand when they spotted a small caravan on the road. A trader, what looked like two bodyguards, and a pack brahmin.</p><p>"Hey, folks," Nick nodded towards them when they were in earshot. It was always better to reach out first, so they didn't shoot for the synth on-sight. "How's the road?"</p><p>"Pretty clear," the trader said. She was a stocky woman with cropped hair. She looked Nick up and down with apprehension. "Any trouble on your end?"</p><p>"We saw one raider group, but they're indisposed now," Nora piped up. She turned her attention to the pack brahmin, eyes gleaming. "Oh, aren't you precious?," Nora gushed, petting the bovine on one of its two heads. She loved those animals like she loved cats and dogs. Nick didn't quite understand it, but he'd be lying if he said it wasn't endearing.</p><p>Nick held in his laughter until the traders were out of earshot.</p><p>"What?" She asked with a frown.</p><p>"You and your brahmin," Nick grinned. </p><p>"Oh, hush. They're adorable. I love their big ol' eyes."</p><p>"Hey, it's not a bad thing. You're pretty adorable yourself."</p><p>She flushed, sliding up to him until their fingers were barely touching. She stared at her feet with a soft smile.</p><p>A comfortable silence fell over them as they followed Nora's map to the vault. The sun had started its descent towards the mountains. There was just a hint of a chill in the air. Nick let Nora wear his coat again. It dwarfed her, like a kid wearing their mother's clothes.</p><p>The pair reached a large hole cut into the side of a rocky cliff. The tunnel was lit up and appeared to be active. "This must be it," Nora said. She double-checked her map, and they were definitely in the right area.</p><p>Nick walked ahead of her, listening for any activity. All he could hear was the echo of their own footsteps, the occasional drip of water hitting the cave floor.</p><p>The vault door was sealed shut. There was a complicated control panel attached to the metal walkway where they stood. Nora walked up to the panel, grabbing a cord from her pip-boy. Over her shoulder, Nick watched as she managed to start the opening sequence. LED lights flashed above them as the walkway began to expand.</p><p>The whirring of the machines stopped as soon as it began. A loudspeaker crackled from above them, a harsh voice echoing through the cave.</p><p>"Hold it right there. Vault 81 security. I don't know where you got your hands on a working Pip-Boy, but you better start talking."</p><p>Nora spoke with a calm confidence. "I'm a vault dweller. I got this from vault 111."</p><p>"111? Never heard of it," the voice was clouded with suspicion. "And what sort of business are you looking to take care of here in 81?"</p><p>"My name is Nora. I'm with the Valentine Detective Agency," Nick caught the slight upward curl in her mouth as she said it. "My partner and I are looking for a missing person. Please, if we could just take a look around - "</p><p>An irritated sigh escaped the loudspeaker. "And you expect me to believe... oh. Overseer!" his tone had shifted awfully fast, to one of nervousness.</p><p>"Who is it, Edwards?" They could hear a voice, quieter and further back from the microphone. She spoke with an heir of importance. </p><p>"Ma'am, some new Commonwealth traveler. Not one of our usual traders."</p><p>"Let me speak to them," she said. There was a pause, a shuffle, and the woman's voice was louder and clearer. "Sorry about that. Officer Edwards here was just doing his job. I'm sure you can understand our need for caution."</p><p>"Not a problem," Nora said. Nick put an assuring hand on the small of her back. "Not everyone out here is kind."</p><p>"I'm glad you see our position," she said. "For newcomers, we like to operate on exchange. You help us, we help you. Interested?"</p><p>"Depends on what kind of help you need, ma'am," Nick answered. He figured he didn't want to surprise them when two people showed up at their door. </p><p>"It's simple, really. We are in need of three fusion cores."</p><p>Nora winked at Nick. Seemed like her habit of scrounging up supplies was finally coming in handy. "I actually happen to have a few on me right now, ma'am."</p><p>"Oh?" She sounded surprised. "Well, then, by all means, welcome. I'll be down to meet you at the entrance."</p><p>The flashing and loud mechanical noises resumed as the massive vault door was lifted and opened. Nora stood in front of Nick, that time. They waited until the walkway had fully extended, and made their way down. </p><p>A woman waited to greet them, and Nick could only assume she was the Overseer. She had cropped hair and a thicker build. She was younger than he'd expected.</p><p>She shook Nora's hand, her brow twitching when she laid eyes on Nick.</p><p>"Gwen McNamara. Overseer. Welcome to Vault 81." Her voice was warmer than it had been over the intercom. "I didn't actually believe you might have been from a vault, but now that I see the suit..." she took another look at Nora's clothing. Even with Nick's coat over it, the telltale vault-tech blue gave her away.</p><p>"Is Vault 111 still functional?" Her voice was tinged with curiosity.</p><p>"No, not anymore," Nora shifted slightly.</p><p>"And this is...?" She finally acknowledged Nick's existence. He tried to keep his face as friendly as possible.</p><p>"This is Nick Valentine," Nora said. She moved closer to him. "He's actually the veteran detective, I'm a newbie."</p><p>He tipped his hat. "Ma'am."</p><p>"...I see," she said cautiously. Nick wasn't sure if he preferred outright rudeness to the passive-aggressive approach. There was an awkward pause.</p><p>"So, I'm, um, impressed you've kept a vault running for so long. I don't think I've ever seen a functional one before." Nora seemed to be scrambling for small talk.</p><p>"Thanks. I owe it to the Overseers before me. Some people aren't too keen on us opening doors for outsiders."</p><p>"I don't see why. The Commonwealth has its dangers, but its got a lot to offer." Her positive outlook gave Nick the urge to kiss her again.</p><p>"It's the dangers that concern me. That's why I like to use a give and take system. Speaking of..." Michelle raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Oh! Of course," Nora said quickly, fishing up the three small cores from her bag. "Here you go."</p><p>"Thank you. Now, if you had no further questions, I have some work to do."</p><p>"Oh, I wanted to see if you knew anything about the missing girl," Nora said.</p><p>"The other dwellers would know more about that than I do," Michelle shrugged. "Asking around would be a better idea."</p><p>"Oh," Nora sounded slightly defeated. "Well, thank you."</p><p>"Ma'am," the security officer from before spoke up from behind them. "What about her...'<em>friend</em>'?"</p><p>Nora opened her mouth to speak, but the Overseer cut her off. "If she's lived this long in the Commonwealth, I'm sure she's chosen her friends wisely."</p><p>The officer said nothing, but cast a nasty look in Nick's direction. The urge to make a sarcastic remark was overwhelming. </p><p>The partners waited until the room was empty to speak.</p><p>"That guy is an asshole," she hissed. "I bet he'd go down after one kick to his weak little kneecaps."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for slow updates again, friends. </p><p>I do have some news! I have written a slight oneshot spinoff to this fic - and it's 8k words of pure smut. I don't want to give too much away, but it does involve Nick! I will be posting it once this fic gets explicit. Which should be soon! Hopefully some of you are interested.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Any and all lyrics used in chapter summaries are by the immeasurably talented Orville Peck. Go buy all of his albums.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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